BE FOCUSED, DEDICATED TO DUTY. Health Minister, Enahire Charges Newly Elected NARD Excos

Dr. Osagie Ehanire
Hon. Minister of Health

"Strive For Excellence And Maintain Positive Attitudes While Discharging Your Duties." Ehanire.

The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has charged the newly elected EXCOs of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to be focused and dedicated to their duties.

Dr Ehanire gave this charge when the EXCO, led by its President, Dr Emeka Orji paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday, November 4th, 2022, at the Ministry’s Headquarters, Abuja.

The Minister, Ehanire and members of the NARD EXCOS

The Minister, according to a statement signed by Ahmadu A. A. Chindaya, Deputy Director in charge of the Press Unit of the ministry, congratulated them for being found worthy of their new appointments. He also encouraged them to strive for excellence and maintain positive attitudes while discharging their duties. 

“You must be able to be adaptive enough to be able to know that we play different roles at different points and that at any given moment you have the responsibility, beyond just being members of NARD, you are members of the larger community, you are members of government, you are members of the “THINK TANK” of the country and at the minimum of this level, you have the possibility and capacity to make suggestions for the wellbeing of the country,” he said. 

Further, Dr Ehanire expressed readiness to collaborate with the Association for the good of the general public, assuring them that their interest is well protected, considering that the Ministry is predominantly run by Professionals in the Medical field, who have been in their shoes at some point, and also understand their plight.

“We do represent the Medical Profession, most of us are Medical Professionals, we went through what you went through… we are not strangers to what you are feeling, it’s not new and it is not foreign, therefore, we can understand you very well. But we must work together, we must cooperate, we must try and see each other’s points of view because if there is anybody who is going to be on your side, it is us. First, because we are in the same profession, and we have the same responsibility which is to patients and secondly, because we represent government, we are like in between,” the Minister added.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mahmuda Mamman, ably represented by the Director, Public Health, Dr. Alex Okoh while congratulating the newly inaugurated EXCOs, noted with disappointment, the absence of female representation among the EXCOs and appealed that they should be included in the affairs of the Association in the nearest future.

Earlier, the President of NARD, Dr. Emeka Orji, stated that the EXCOs’ visit aimed at paying homage to the Honourable Minister having been recently inaugurated. He commended the Honourable Minister and his team for what they have been able to do in the healthcare sector.

He also took advantage of the visit to discuss a number of issues bothering on backlog of salary arrears, training allowances, brain-drain, accommodation among others.