Dr. Ahmed Gabriel Uba, ARD President 



Musa Affos (Rhapsodi), Jalingo


The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Taraba State Chapter comprising of Doctors at the state Specialist Hospital Jalingo, the General hospitals, First Referral Hospitals, and those at Health service management board and ministry of health Taraba State  has recommenced an indefinite industrial action till the government implements the memorandum of understanding it had with the association three months ago. 

President of the Association Dr. Ahmed Gabriel Uba, made this known to newsmen on Friday during a press briefing where he revealed that the industrial action became necessary because Taraba state government has reneged on its part to implement the MOU signed with association despite lot of lobbying and advocacy by the Association's leadership. 

The president further revealed that work packages such as the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for healthcare workers are grossly inadequately and unavailable thereby exposing its members to Covid-19, non-implementation of the adjusted CONMESS (I.e. The consolidated medical salary scale), lack of payment of the Covid-19 inducement and Hazard Allowance to all healthcare workers and non-implementation of the new national minimum wage has been a major hindrance to Doctors and other health professionals to perform their duties especially in the face of the pandemic. 

According to Dr. Ahmed, its members also suffers from the insecurity within the state as a couple were abducted and even killed. He also lamented the lack of medical internship training for Doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists at the state specialist hospital jalingo which was established about thirteen years ago, the only specialist hospital in the North East zone not doing internship training. 


He further buttresses that:
“Based on the W.H.O standard, the ratio of doctor to patient is one doctor to 600 patients, but in Nigeria currently the ratio is one doctor to 6, 400 patients, while in Taraba state it is one doctor to 33,000 patients and this is grossly inadequate,”. This is so because currently the total number of Doctors with Taraba State health system is less than ninety. For instance The Taraba State Specialist hospital created has 19 permanent Doctors and Doctors on contract are 18 in number. This is an grossly below standards and 
“You cannot build a system or run a viable system with this kind of arrangement (lot of contract doctors) and without internship training for medical interns, both nurses and medical laboratory which is to serve as incentives for Doctors to stay with the state health institution to improve the centre and the standard of care given to the public. 

“At the moment, there is COVID-19 pandemic and already the second wave is with us but no medical healthcare worker has been paid hazard and inducement allowance in the state and the second wave is already here but our morale is low.”

“Majority of the doctors employed within the last 2 years have left the state due to Taraba state poor salary scale and packages to either FMC jalingo or neighbouring state like yobe, Borno with good terms of services ” He further revealed that 
“Majority of the doctors employed at the General hospitals and referral hospitals are young and ambitious with high tendency of leaving to other centres with better terms of reference. We want the government to look into that quickly to prevent the sector from collapsing especially with the mass exodus of doctors from the state health services. 

“Within the state, more than 25 health workers that were confirmed with COVID-19 and have recovered and also Taraba has not recorded any death from Covid-19, this he attributed to the resilience of the healthcare workers in the state. Other issues are lack of insurance cover for doctors, lack of running cost to health facilities, and so we demand implementation of the MOU entered into with the government as this will solve most of the problems highlighted. ” he added.

Also speaking, is the chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Taraba State Dr. Nkantah U Edet who said it was rather unfortunate that Resident Doctors in the state are on strike but urged the state government to revert to the MoU signed with ARD three months ago and ensure its full implementation to forestall further damage to the already bad situation especially with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adding that the doctors are an essential part of society.

Recalled that on 7th September 2020, NARD embarked on an industrial action nationwide with Taraba state chapter inclusive. However, After Negotiations and deliberations, an agreement was reached and signed between the leadership of ARD Taraba State chapter and the commissioner of Health Dr innocent vakkai on behalf of the Taraba State Government at the office of the head of civil service on 28th September, 2020 which led to suspension of the strike by the resident Doctors with the view of implementating the MOU within a month. 

Our findings showed that the government has not kept its own part of the agreement which necessitated the resumption of the industrial action.