The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, has declared that Nigerian doctors will no longer work under what he described as “slave-like” conditions.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, Suleiman directed members to restrict their call duties to a maximum of 24 hours starting October 1.
He explained that the move was aimed at tackling burnout, poor welfare, and the growing exodus of medical professionals from the country.
Suleiman revealed that NARD has also given the federal government a 30-day ultimatum to respond to its demands.
“In the last 10 years, we have lost close to 15,000 to 16,000 doctors to other countries. Ten years ago, during one of our actions, the federal government sacked about 15,000 doctors, but eventually brought us back,” he said.
He warned that the dwindling workforce has forced those remaining to endure unsafe workloads.
The directive to limit call hours, he noted, was unanimously adopted at NARD’s annual general meeting in Katsina, where members reaffirmed that doctors are not slaves and must safeguard their wellbeing.
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