Resident doctors threaten to embark on nationwide strike on April 1

By OJOMA AKOR

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to proceed on a nationwide strike action from Thursday April 1, if its demands are not met.

In a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting, President, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, Secretary General, Dr. Jerry Isogun, and Publicity/Social Secretary, Dr. Dotun Osikoya, said the demands include immediate payment of all salaries owed to all house officers, including March salaries (regardless of quota system) before the end of business on the 31st of March.

Others are: “Immediate payment of all salary arrears including March salaries for our members in all Federal (GIFMIS platform) and State Tertiary Health Institutions across the country especially ASUTH, IMSUTH and UNIMEDTH.

“An upward review of the current hazard allowance to 50% of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance especially in State owned-tertiary Institutions.”

The resident doctors also called for the sack of the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for “failure to demonstrate competence in the handling of the central placement of house officers”.

“This will give room for smooth implementation of the central placement of house officers without further delays,” the association said.

While calling on for the abolishment of the exorbitant bench fees being paid by its members on outside postings in all training Institutions across the country, the association also called for payment of salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016 to its members in all federal institutions including, state-owned, as earlier agreed with NARD.

The association called for payment of death in service insurance for all health workers who died as a result of COVID-19 infection or other infectious diseases in the country, and universal domestication/implementation of the 2017 MRTA by all federal government and state-owned training institutions to ensure proper funding of Residency Training in the country as stipulated by the Act.

The doctors also want immediate payment of 2019, the balance of 2020 and 2021 Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF) to members including those under state government employment. (Daily Trust)