Despite the threat issued by the Federal Government, the Resident Doctors in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH have refused to call off their ongoing strike on Monday.

This was disclosed by the UMTH Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Kaka, during an interview with The PUNCH in Maiduguri on Tuesday.

According to Kaka, the affected doctors will continue with the strike until given a directive by their national headquarters to resume.

“As of today (Monday), I, as the chairman of UMTH chapter of NARD, have yet to receive any directive from our national body instructing us to report to work. We have complied 100% with the national directive to embark on strike action and that is what we are doing.

“That the federal government threatens not to pay our salaries if we do not resume work is a farce because we are together in solidarity with our national body irrespective of the circumstances,” Sadiq Kaka stated.

On the peculiar situation of Borno State in regards to the fallout of insurgency and urgent medical needs of patients in the hospital, the doctor said there are other medical workers that will provide adequate attention to the patients.

He said, “We are aware of the large number of patients seeking medical attention at the teaching hospital especially considering we are in a crisis ravaged state that has high demand of our services. But we are not bothered because there are consultants and other medical students who have been drafted in to provide all necessary attention to the patients but as for the resumption of work, we in UMTH Will strictly obey our national body.”