President Muhammadu Buhari has on Thursday pleaded with the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to suspend their planned strike and give the Federal Government more time to address their grievances.
The plea was contained in a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu.
In the statement, the President while meeting with the leadership of the Association at the Presidential Villa in Abuja gave the doctors an assurance that all agreements promised by the Federal Government will be honoured by his administration.
The president however pleaded for understanding and support of the association, its members and Nigerians as a whole especially with regards to the present economic crash and depletion in national revenue due to decline in crude oil price.
The statement added, “Decrying the adverse impact of the fall in oil prices on the Federal Government’s spending plans for health and other sectors, President Buhari said that his administration would continue to do its best to address issues that were of concern to doctors and Nigerians.
“The President also gave the NMA delegation an insight into his administration’s plan to establish 10,000 primary healthcare centres across the country in the next two years, with the objective of providing better healthcare for about 100 million Nigerians.
“He also told the delegation, led by the NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, that the National Health Act will soon be put in a gazette and a steering committee appointed to oversee its implementation.”
The Minister of Health , Prof. Isaac Adewole, described the plan to establish more healthcare centres as “the single most ambitious health plan for the poor in the history of Nigeria.”
The Nigerian Medical Association President, Dr. Kayode Obembe in his remarks sought for the implementation of the Yayale Ahmed Committee report on better relations among professional groups in the health sector.
He also added that the Federal Government should urgently implement the National Health Act.