Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has appealed to resident doctors in the country to call off their strike, saying the present government will keep to its promises to them.
Dr Ehanire made the appeal on Friday in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Ehanire who was reacting to claims that the government has not kept its promises to the health workers, said the President Muhammadu Buhari government has a track record of being sympathetic to the people and keeping its promises.
“We have made it clear to them (doctors) that this government is the most sincere and serious government this country has ever had. His (Buhari) word is his bond,” the minister assured.
“This government does things differently. This is a government that says its word and keeps to its words. We would not do anything to hurt you. We work in your (doctors) interest.”
He recalled that the present government paid the Nigerian Airways pension arrears as well as kept to other promises it made to Nigerians.
The Minister, however, lamented that it is hard to convince people who do not want to be convinced about the government’s sincerity, adding that a lot has changed in the country since this present administration came on board.
He, therefore, called on the striking doctors to reconsider their action for the interest of the country, assuring that government will keep to its end of the bargain.
According to him, Nigeria cannot afford to have the doctors on strike at this time when the health system is strained globally due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Ehanire added: “We are going through a very difficult time with other countries and this is quite clearly not the time to add more to our problems by deciding to go on strike.
“I am worried that we are probably the first and only country where doctors have decided to go on strike.
