FG vows to avert doctors strike

The federal government has assured Nigerians that the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) will not go on strike.

At a press briefing on Monday, Muhammad Askira, NARD’s president, told journalists that the association would commence indefinite strike if the government did not address some of its pressing needs within 21 days.

But speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the commemoration of the 2016 world diabetes day, Isaac Adewole, minister of health, said the government had reached out to the association.

“I am assuring Nigerians that there will be no strike. We have received the ultimatum, we have talked and will be meeting again on Monday,” he said.

“We are going to discuss the requests and demands. The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) had stepped in now and there is going to be a meeting in my office by Monday, April 11.

“It is also important to highlight the fact that I happened to be a former president of the association; it is my former constituency.

“We (government and NARD) will discuss and ensure that there will be no strike.”

Quoting the recent ‎report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on 24 per cent of illness related deaths in the country being caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Adewole said diabetes accounts for two per cent of the figure.

“Diabetes is increasingly becoming an epidemic especially among adolescents and young adults, partly due to the rapid socio-cultural change being experienced, and the adoption of unhealthy lifestyles and risky behaviours,” he said.

Adewole said his ministry has mapped out six critical action areas to tackle the disease, calling on Nigerians to be actively involved in the campaign to end the disease.

He urged those already diagnosed with diabetes to comply strictly with the directives of their doctors.