Resident Doctors Commence Indefinite Strike Nationwide

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Resident Doctors under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have declared an indefinite strike over dispute with the federal government on salary and welfare matters.

A former president of NARD, Dr. Godiya Ishaya confirmed the development to THISDAY, last night, in a telephone message.

“It’s true NARD has declared a total and indefinite strike action,” he said.

The association is insisting that the government should address all its six point demands, failing which it would no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the health sector nationwide.

In the communique issued at the end of its recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the doctors had resolved, “to further extend her already expired ultimatum issued to the government by two weeks with effect from Wednesday July 5, 2023.”

 The two weeks elapsed on July 17.

Among the demands of the doctors were the immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF as contained in the approved 2023 budget in line with various agreements reached with the government.

The agreement was that the government should without further delay, pay all outstanding arrears owed members including the hazard allowance and the skipping arrears of 2014-2016, and the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum wage, arguing that there was no justifiable reason to keep owing the arrears and allowances.

NARD is also demanding the immediate release and the implementation of the guidelines on one-for-one replacement of clinical staff to cushion the effect of the massive manpower shortage in various hospitals nationwide.

Additionally, the resident doctors are asking the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to discontinue the downgrading of the membership certificate issued by the West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical colleges.

NARD further demanded the immediate payment of all Salary Arrears, implementation of the CONMESS salary structure and new Hazard Allowance and domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act and payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund to our members in the State Tertiary Health Institutions nationwide.

The NEC of NARD insisted on the immediate implementation of minimum of 200 percent increment in the CONMESS salary structure and upward review of the associated allowances as requested in her previous letters on the subject matter, adding that the current economic realities in the country cannot justify the continued payment of CONMESS as it is at the moment.