Reps set up panel to look into complaints of striking doctors

The house of representatives committee on health care services has set up three panels to address the issues raised by the striking resident doctors. 

Tanko Sununu, chairman of the committee, disclosed this on Friday after a closed-door meeting held with the doctors.

The doctors had embarked on an indefinite strike on April 1 over failure of the government to address issues raised in an earlier ultimatum issued in January 2021.

Sununu said the committees will ensure that all the complaints made by the resident doctors are resolved.

“We have come out with a lot of resolutions. One of the resolutions is that as of today, because there are so many infractions that involve finances, we have decided to constitute three basic committees,” he said.

“One of the committees is to sort out the list of house officers and they are to commence work with immediate effect and submit authenticated list to the IPPIS office within 24 hours so that payment of those who were omitted would be done with immediate effect.

“The other committee to be headed by a director from the ministry of labour with membership from the federal ministry of health, association of resident doctors and IPPIS, committee of CMD to look at all the infractions that were noticed that involve multiple payments and other issues, and also suggest punitive measures to be meted on those who have acted wrongly.

“That would also have to commence work immediately and submit the report to the federal ministry of health to copy the committee for necessary action to be taken.

“We also realised from the presentation from the association of resident doctors that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria falls short within its expectation, with accusations of so many doctors registering and they have not reviewed their licences and others who are unable to access their licences and so many accusations.

“The committee agreed to set up a committee that would potentially audit all the activities of MDCN in the last five years to ensure that capacity and the ability of the MDCN to carry out its mandate is ensured.”

Speaking on the payment wrongfully made to some of the doctors, Sununu said steps will be taken to ensure that the money is returned to the federal government.

“The association of resident doctors made it clear that in the last four months, the members of the association were wrongly paid, amounting also to the tune of nearly N308 million and the money has been with the association of resident doctors. They have been following the necessary organ of our government to ensure that the money is being paid back to government treasury because the account was not given to them,” he said.

“At this meeting, the account was forwarded to the president of the association of resident doctors for onward transmission to the members so that the money would be paid back to the government account.”

Sununu pleaded with the doctors to suspend the strike, adding that not all Nigerians have the financial capacity to afford treatment at private hospitals.