The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has explained that medical and dental house officers cannot be placed on the civil service scheme because they are not regular staff of the government.

Salako made this clarification at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday while addressing the demands of the striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, who have listed 19 demands in their ongoing industrial action.

NARD had faulted the exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme—a policy it said had denied them rightful emoluments, professional recognition, and timely payment of salaries.

However, Salako said such inclusion would be impractical and would create administrative and financial complications.

He explained that house officers are newly graduated medical doctors undergoing their mandatory one-year internship in federal health institutions across the country.

The minister said, “Medical and dental house officers are newly graduated doctors, either medical or dental, who are on internship for one year—which is 12 months—so they are not regular staff.

“They are engaged temporarily for 12 months. Therefore, it is not possible for them to be seen as regular staff. Would they be enjoying a pension, for example, because that is one of the key things that is enjoyed by every civil servant?

“Of course, we cannot put house officers on the pension scheme because they are on training, and that training, which is an intensive one, is for 12 months.

“At the end of the 12 months, they are supposed to go for their youth service. Those who want to join the service can then do so properly, while others may pursue other opportunities.

“So, we’ve explained to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors that putting house officers on the civil service scheme will create more problems than it will solve.

“That would mean putting them on the same platform that pays other civil servants, and when they leave, some of them might still get paid. To exit that platform takes some processes.

“We have also explained that it is not only doctors who do an internship. Internship is done by other categories of health workers—nurses, pharmacists, and physiotherapists.”

Salako also addressed the controversy surrounding the creation of a consultant cadre for non-medical doctors, clarifying that the decision predates the current administration.

“This was not done by this government; we inherited it. So, we believe that the only way to move forward around it is through mutual discussion among those affected, so that everybody can go back to work and function in harmony,” he noted.

On the issue of five resident doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Salako disclosed that the ministry had set up a three-man review committee to re-examine the cases.

He said, “Two of the affected doctors had faced a properly constituted disciplinary committee in line with the public service rules.

“Their cases have now been referred to a three-man committee headed by the Chairman of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, with an external consultant and a representative from the Department of Human Resources in the Ministry as members. The committee will take a second look to determine whether they were truly dismissed unjustly.

“For the remaining three dismissed doctors, the Ministry has agreed to reabsorb them, provided they are willing to work at facilities other than the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, at least for now.”

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving all issues raised by the striking doctors through dialogue and urged them to return to work in good faith.

“So, we have communicated that to the leadership of NARD. By and large, the point I’m trying to make is that we have not been sitting idly, contrary to some of the information being pushed out. We have been addressing these issues one by one, and for some, we have already found solutions—or at least a pathway to them.

“Our appeal is for the resident doctors to go back to work. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is ongoing. As I said, one of the key conditions of the CBA is that while it is ongoing, there should not be an industrial dispute.

“We would like the resident doctors to respect this condition, and also respect the efforts that the ministry is making by going back to work. We in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare value their contributions, and I know that Mr. President especially values the contributions of our health workers, including doctors and resident doctors.

“If it were possible, we would pay them ?50 million per month, because truly, nobody can adequately pay for the service of a health worker,” he added.

Speaking on the ongoing strike, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors in Federal Tertiary Health Institutions, Dr. Yahaya Adamu, said consultants had been mobilised to sustain outpatient services and emergency care, while ongoing surgeries and inpatient management continued in most facilities.

“From our reports this morning, most federal tertiary hospitals have maintained their clinics, though not at full capacity.

“Patients on admission, especially critical cases, are being managed until they are fit for discharge. We appeal to the public for understanding and urge those with emergencies to still visit our facilities; we are there to attend to them,” he stated. (The PUNCH)