The Ondo state government has denied sacking resident doctors over a recent strike action.
The government’s position was contained in a statement signed by Donald Ojogo, state commissioner for Information and Orientation, on Saturday.
“The attention of the Ondo State Government has been drawn to the above subject as well as the attendant reactions that have understandably, trailed the development.”
“The political warps are specifically, also noted with no serious concern. For the records, whatever issues that led to the strike action by the Doctors under the Residency Programme and the reprimand by the Management of UNIMED Teaching Hospital are currently being looked into. Such shall be resolved by Monday, hopefully. Government, therefore, wishes to urge the General public to be wary of those who have chosen to creep into an unavailable political space.”
“This is a purely administrative & professional issue and must not be politicised in any form. We wish to, therefore, emphasize that at no time did the State Government sack Doctors as the public is being made to erroneously believe. It should be noted that the UNIMED Residency arrangement is the first since the establishment of the Nation’s premier medical University. It is mostly undertaken by the Federal Government as many States do not find financial space for such.”
“Nonetheless, it is pertinent to clarify that there is a wide difference between Doctors employed by the State Government and those under a Residency Programme. The Residency is a Post Graduate Programme usually sponsored by Governments even as such beneficiaries render services for a specific period.”
“In effect, Doctors under the Residency Programme are more or less, temporary Staff members who qualify as Consultants after their period of training.” the statement read.
