Chief Medical Director (CMD) Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Dr. Majekodunmi Ayodele, has appealed to striking resident doctors to consider the plights of the patients and return to work. Dr. Ayodele who made the appeal yesterday while speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti said that the federal government was already looking into the demands of the members of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD). Recall that doctors in tertiary hospitals and their colleagues in all federal health institutions across the country had been on strike since May over non-implementation of ‘grade skipping’ by the institutions.

They had accused the chief medical directors of ignoring directive of the Federal Ministry of Health on the matter which Dr. Ayodele said was yet to be okayed by the federal government. The CMD disclosed further that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission had explained that the modalities for the implementation have not been worked out, neither has the relevant scheme of service been amended, adding that attempt to implement the grade skipping for medical officers without modalities would create confusion and grading absurdities.