The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says the COVID-19 pandemic led to the death of 19 resident doctors and poor health of 1,000 of others.
The NARD President, Dr Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, said this on Thursday during the association’s first National Executive Council post-COVID-19 meeting held in Umuahia.
Uyilawa said that aside from the number of deaths recorded, about 1,000 members were suffering from varying morbidities from the pandemic.
He said the plight being suffered by resident doctors in the country informed the choice of the theme of the meeting: “The Nigerian Doctor: An Endangered specie Grappling with a Pandemic, Poor Workplace, Infrastructure and Security Threat.”
He noted that the meeting would provide platform where the plight of resident doctors would be discussed with regards to poor workplace infrastructure and security threats associated with the job.
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The NARD president said, “This NEC meeting gives us another opportunity to critically and extensively deliberate on issues surrounding the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“We shall also X-ray our plight and shortcomings as it pertains to our welfare. We shall review the ultimatum given to the federal and state governments on issues of welfare of our members, training and service delivery to our dear patients.
“The hope of Nigerians for specialist healthcare is on the resident doctor and we have shown this by how we stood up to the novel pandemic and put our lives out for Nigerians.
“We are, however, relieved that our service to humanity has not fallen short of our mantra and calling.”
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