The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has announced Dr. George Ebong as its new president. This announcement was made at a dinner and awards ceremony held in Abuja on Saturday evening.
Dr. Ebong, who is a staff member at Wuse District Hospital, will serve a two-year term as president. During his address, he emphasized his commitment to addressing the challenges faced by doctors in the FCT, particularly in terms of their welfare. He expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions within the medical profession in Abuja, calling doctors in the region an “endangered species.”
“My administration will focus on resolving the myriad of challenges that resident doctors in Abuja face,” Dr. Ebong said. “The medical profession in the FCT is plagued with numerous issues, including salary arrears for members employed in 2023, salary disparities, manpower shortages, non-payment of rural allowances, delayed salary payments, and poor working conditions in our hospitals.”
Dr. Ebong further likened the struggles of doctors in the FCT to those of endangered species, saying, “We are an endangered species, just as the American bald eagle, the Chinese panda, and the Russian Siberian tiger have become endangered. The medical profession has become endangered.”
He called for a new approach to addressing these issues, urging the medical community to act not out of love for the profession, but as a necessary step to advocate for those whose voices have long been ignored. “Now is the time to change the course of this conversation. Now is the time to adopt a whole new approach. Now is the time to act—not because we love it, but because it is the only voice for those who are unheard,” he stated.
The outgoing president of ARD, FCT, Dr. Olayinka Rahmah, also spoke at the event, expressing his gratitude to the association’s members for their support throughout his tenure.
