The National Association of Resident Doctors have given government 21 days from Monday April 4 to reverse decisions on sack and docked pay for doctors or face strike.
NARD president Dr Muhammad Askira said when the 21-day ultimatum expires, “industrial harmony in our various hospitals may not be guaranteed if the existing realities are not resolved.”
“NARD will no longer tolerate the undue sack of resident doctors and demands immediate reversal of such,” Askira said at a press conference after NARD’s executive council met in Abuja.
“We urge government to ensure appropriate and adequate remuneration of our members at various hospitals.”
“Most hospitals are paying our members only fractions of their salaries, notably FETHA Abakiliki, FMC Umuahia, ABUTH Zaria, UNTH Enugu, while in UCH Ibadan, UBTH Benin City, LUTH Idi-Araba, FMC Owerri, ISTH Irrua and NOH Dala, November-December 2015 salaries are yet to be paid,” said Askira.
The ultimatum and possible threat comes shortly after the health ministry issued a circular asking hospital managements to uphold a no-work-no-pay directive against striking workers.
NARD has said it will not be deterred by the threat of the circular, citing its members who have gone months with fractions of their pay or none at all.
“Must we protest before they attend to our needs? This is April and some of our members have not been paid December salaries. Let them pay us the penalty of ‘work without pay’ and we can now accept the penalty of ‘no work no pay’,” said Askira. “My concern is first if the government allows people to go on strike. NARD demands are demands that are primarily government responsibility.”
Among its demands is for government to release and implement guidelines for residency training with budgetary backing.
In addition, the association wants government to adequately fund hospitals, upgrade facilities to help curb the “menace of foreign medical tourism.”
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