The Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire who said this at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja added that the association was using the anxiety surrounding the third wave of COVID-19 to push its demands.
Dr. Ehanire said he hopes the doctors would understand that the ongoing strike would not give them a good image.
He expressed belief that they will call a meeting and reassess some of the issues they tabled.
Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunmimbe Mamora on his part directed house officers undergoing training in hospital across the nation not to join the strike called by NARD.
Mamora, said, house officers are undergoing training; they are not full fledged doctors and therefore should not go on strike.
According to him, house officers work generically across General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Plastic Surgery, and General Medicine and Medical Specialties.
He added that they also worked in their designated services wherever possible and were also attached to consultants.
The Director of Hospital Services, FMOH, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, also said that the communique issued by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) concerning house officers was not a threat.
Adebiyi said there was no victimisation of any house officer across the country and they were not meant to be out of duty during their 12 months of housemanship.
She appealed to them not to miss out in any of their practice days.
The Registrar of MDCN, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, had in a statement asked the house officers to stay and render services.
He warned that any of them who joined the strike would be reposted without pay.
Recall that NARD embarked on an indefinite nationwide industrial action on Monday.
