Reps Threaten To Arrest Registrar Of MDCN Over Doctors’ Strike

The House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi.

Dr. Sanusi, who is the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has failed to honor the invitation extended to him by the committee in relation to the ongoing strike action by the doctors.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, the Chairman of the Committee, Tanko Sununu, said the lawmakers have decided to summon the registrar of the medical council.

The legislators warned that if Sanusi fails to appear before the committee, they are ready to issue a warrant of arrest on him.

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The Committee Chairman explained that the invitation extended to the medical practitioners was meant to address the ongoing strike by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

Also, members of the House Committee pleaded with the doctors to call off the strike in the interest of the country.

They assured the medical practitioners that the government was making efforts to ensure that the concerned issues raised by them were addressed.

It became one week since the Nigerian doctors embarked on the strike action across the state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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The industrial action by the doctors followed a 90-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government which expired on Wednesday, March 31, 2020.

Efforts by the government to avert the strike, including a conciliatory meeting between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and the leaders of the union, were unable to stop the doctors from backing off from the industrial action.

They commenced the strike two days after President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to the United Kingdom for a medical check-up.

The doctors, among several other demands, called for the sack of the MDCN registrar for his alleged failure to demonstrate competence in the handling of the central placement of house officers.

This, according to them, will give room for smooth implementation of the central placement of house officers without further delays.