Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in Nasarawa State, on Monday, joined the nationwide strike declared by its national body over improved welfare demands.
The President of ARD in Nasarawa State, Dr Peter Idoko, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lafia, NAN reports.
“We have complied with the strike 100 per cent and all our members in the state have stayed away from work except those working in isolation centres, in line with the directive from our national headquarters.
“Even those working in the isolation centres would join the strike after two weeks if it lingers,” he said.
He further explained that the strike could have been avoided if the Federal and states government had implemented the coronavirus hazard allowances among other welfare issues.
According to him, the nationwide strike would have been avoided given that doctors and others health workers in the state had earlier embarked on warning strike over the same issue.
He said that 42 health workers, including six doctors, were infected with COVID-19 in Nasarawa State as a result of inadequate PPE.
He urged the Nasarawa State Government to stop paying lip service to issues of health.
He urged the state government to domesticate the coronavirus hazard allowance, provide insurance cover for health workers and upgrade facilities at the isolation centres.
“The state government should take the residency training of doctors seriously in order to produce more consultants and to address the issue of brain-drain,” he added.
