RESIDENT DOCTORS HAIL FCT MINISTER FOR MEETING ALL REQUESTS
By: Wisdom Acka
In a significant development for healthcare in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has officially called off its strike following the fulfillment of its requests by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike.
The announcement was made during a joint press briefing in Abuja, where key stakeholders also addressed public concerns over a recently debunked Ebola scare.
President of the Association, Dr. Osundayo Tope Zenith, expressed profound gratitude to the FCT Minister for his swift intervention.
“We appreciate His Excellency, Barrister Exenwo Nyesom Wike, for his fatherly disposition and prioritization of healthcare. Every demand listed by our association has been addressed, including allowances and employment of new doctors,” Dr. Osundayo stated.
He clarified that the strike was never politically motivated but aimed at drawing attention to systemic gaps. “We are not pawns; we fought for what is right, and the Minister listened.”
Dr. Osundayo concluded, “With these resolutions, we return to work with renewed hope for the FCT’s health sector.”
Corroborating the position, the Association’s FCTA chapter President, Dr. George Obong, stressed that the Minister has actually granted all their requests.
“We are grateful to him, to every other person that made this possible. ..but we believed that only him (Wike) could do it and he has done it. We want to assure him that together, we can build a health care system that the residents will enjoy,” he pledges
On her part, Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Health and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, who initiated the briefing, echoed these sentiments, confirming that 37 doctors have already been employed, even as the Minister plans to bring onboard 300 more healthcare workers to boost healthcare delivery in the FCT.
She emphasized that bureaucratic processes were being streamlined to ensure sustainable solutions, noting that, “The Minister’s approvals are not quick fixes but structured to prevent future agitations.”
Dr. Fasawe also seized the occasion to dispel fears about a suspected Ebola case in the FCT. She revealed that “Patient X,” an individual with travel history from Rwanda (bordering Ebola-affected DR Congo), tested negative for both Ebola and Marburg viruses after prompt isolation.
“But our surveillance system worked perfectly. This is proof of the FCT’s preparedness,” she declared, crediting the Minister’s investments in health infrastructure, including the new Emergency Operations Centre.
She urged media outlets to always verify information before publishing to avoid panic and reminded residents that “not every fever is malaria,” calling on the public to “report emergencies like abnormal bleeding immediately.”
She assured residents of collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to tighten border surveillance in and around the FCT.
