By Akin2nde  

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny.” -Thomas Jefferson

 HEADLINE NEWS: Federal Govt of Nigeria punish Resident Doctors for demanding "Formal residency Guidelines" 

"Yes, Nigeria in the news again. This time it is not about power failure or mendacious US journalist Ann Coulter, it is CNNiReport.

 Everything you are about to read is as close to the truth as it gets. 

The world over, "residents" refer to doctors who hold a medical degree from accredited medical schools. Its history dates back to doctors residing within hospital accommodation to attend to emergencies and after-hours care. Pay was minimal beyond room, board, and laundry services. It was assumed that most young men and women training as physicians had few obligations outside of medical training at that stage of their careers (Wikipedia) 

Over the years, residency programs required accreditation to maintain higher standards of health care delivery as well as regulate working hours for the often stressed resident doctors. While Gray's Anatomy and House give an insight into the life of a typical resident doctor (edit the sex and romance a little) the life of a resident doctor can be quite hectic. 

Residency programs were mostly unattractive in-spite of the prestige of becoming a Consultant specialist (Attending Physician) in the often uncertain future. 

The life of the Nigerian resident however is much less attractive! Besides the tedious hours which vary depending on field of specialty training, a resident must adopt a slave mentality and endure harsh rebuttals from his attending/consultant- a bearable burden.
The average Nigerian doctor in his quest for more knowledge is often willing to subject her/him self to such an environment, at all costs if possible. It is just as difficult to get into a residency program overseas as it is in Nigeria, sometimes even more difficult. To finally adapt to such infirmity and not be paid wages due to one, you can imagine it becomes unbearable after a short while.
 On 01 October 2013, Resident doctors under their parent association: Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on an indefinite industrial action (popularly called "Strike action". Their demands was simple, no one expected the strike action to loom beyond 2 weeks at the most. NARD in its communique had demanded for: A formal residency guideline. Her argument was that there was no provision in the Nigerian civil service act for residency training/trainees- an obvious loophole which had often been exploited to short-change residents by every Tom, Dick and Harry called Chief Medical Directors (C.M.D) or in recent times C.E.Os. Though a 'simple' demand, it is pregnant with meaning. At the time, 62 days of salaries were owed pockets of resident doctors in some (not all) tertiary hospitals. This was blamed on the implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS). A failed implementation to put it more aptly. The failed IPPIS affected all cadres of tertiary hospital workers- including the attending/consultants. The same IPPIS was rejected outright by the Academic Staff Union Nigerian Universities (ASUU).

 The federal government of Nigeria (FGN) in characteristic lack lustre manner ignored the striking doctors for a few days before inviting NARD executives to negotiations. Not surprisingly the understanding NARD executives called off the strike on the 21st of October with mere promises from the FGN to pay all outstanding salaries owed and look into their demand. The Nigerian Government did proceed to pay outstanding arrears to health workers but deliberately, with malicious intent, ensured no resident doctor was paid. After 44 days, no payment has been made in a calculated attempt to frustrate and break the spirit of NARD and her members in certain tertiary institutions. An action possible only with the FGN's blessing. 

Such dictatorial tendencies are not new in post-colonial Nigeria. Not too recently one of the progressive South West states of the opposition party had sacked its entire work force of medical doctors for demanding improved working conditions. Nothing more came out of it. Such flagrant disregard by any nation for the health of her citizens spells catastrophe for such a nation. After working for 2 months, is NARD faulted to call a strike? Perhaps. Another 2 months after the strike was called off, the federal government proceeds to pay all workers EXCEPT resident doctors. These are married men and women with bills and responsibilities, some of them repaying debt from loans. Days turn to weeks, weeks become months and yet it does not even make headline news! Only in Nigeria. 

While my country men suffer, my democratically elected leaders fly out to foreign lands, pay top-dollar for the best medical care money can buy. To make matters worse, the regulatory authority, so called Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) does nothing, the parent association of doctors, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) does zilch. Should the world still sit and watch?

 Conclusion: “Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity. ” - Hippocrates, father or Medicine. This report is not about sentiment or whipping public sympathy. It is to protest oppression of many by the few in a so-called democracy. It is to let the world report news for the right reasons. It is a hopeful attempt to resuscitate our comatose medical institutions- perhaps a last ditch effort to prevent further brain drain. We lost our best to Students to study Medicine and now face the risk of losing some of the best Nigerians to foreign lands.To the Nigerian Resident Doctor: After you find out all the things that can go wrong, your life becomes less about living and more about waiting.....Choke."

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1061227

Now, before we vilify or crucify the residents, it's important people understand that the resident doctors did not ask for increased wages. They have simply been owed their normal wages since July ending until this moment. Yet, FG apparently does not think there is a problem. Funny, but sad for the country

It is well!

Lmaooooooooo dis shud be on d front page.

^^U dey laff ba? ..
No be small thing. FG and this 'fresh air' tho'.