The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the government of President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency in the country’s health sector.

The president of NARD, Emeka Orji, gave the advice in a communique at the end of its scientific conference hosted in Lagos on Saturday.

“We also call on the new administration to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency in the Nigerian health sector as the era of paying lip service to the monster called brain drain should be over,” Mr Orji said.

He added, “We urge the government to set up a high-powered panel to review and harmonise the reports from the former President Obasanjo’s Health Agenda for Nigeria Committee and the former Vice President Osinbajo-led Health Sector Reform Committee.”

In the communique, NARD also insisted on the demand for at least a 200 per cent increment in the CONMESS salary structure and the associated allowances in its letter to the government on July 7, 2022.

“We have resolved to give the new government some time to quickly resolve this issue, which is at the root of the current spate of massive brain drain in the sector.

“We call on Governors Adedapo Abiodun of Ogun state, Alex Otti of Abia state, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state, Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Abdurahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara state and the FCTA Administration to urgently look into the situation in the health sector in their states as mentioned in the observations above,” he said.

NARD also called on the management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to discontinue the demand for bench fees.

The body also called on the West African Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians to discontinue charging NARD members using parallel market exchange rates.

The resident doctors also called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to stop the downgrading of the membership certificate as this was not the practice in sister African Countries that shared the same certificate.

Also, NARD urged the current administration to implement measures to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Nigerians.

It advised the government to ensure that monies saved from the removal of fuel subsidy were judiciously used.

“It should be put into meaningful investments that would better the lives of all Nigerians.

(NAN)