The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to proceed on a nationwide strike action from Monday, 7th of September by 8:00am if its demands are not met.
The association in a communique issued after its virtual National Executive Council meeting and signed by the President Dr Sokomba Aliyu , Secretary General, Bilqis Muhammad, and Publicity/ Social Secretary , Egbogu Stanley said the demands include immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all her members as approved in the revised 2020 budget , and provision of genuine group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers.
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Others include , “payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers , determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders, and immediate payment of the salary shortfalls of 2014,2015 and 2016.”
The association added that , doctors working under the various tertiary health institutions be placed on appropriate salary grade level and universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all State tertiary health institutions.
“Payment of all arrears owed our members in Federal and States tertiary health institutions, arising from the consequential adjustment of the National minimum wage, ” the resident doctors added in the communique.
While calling on Nigerians to bear with it during the period of industrial disharmony, the association called on relevant stakeholders to intervene on this issues to ensure speedy resolution.
The resident doctors said the virtual meeting which was attended by over 200 doctors reviewed the 21-day ultimatum issued to government which elapsed 17th of August 2020 and made the following observations:
“NEC noted that in spite the inclusion of the residency funding in the revised 2020 budget the government has not made plans to impliment the payment despite several promises by several stakeholders.
“NEC noted the failure of the Federal government to procure group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers.
“NEC noted that though an agreement has been reached between the government and stakeholders in the health sector to pay COVID-19 Inducement allowance for 6 month (April – September), payment was only commenced for April, May and June in some institution and the process abandoned.
“NEC observed the insincerity of the government in determining the revised hazard allowance for all health workers which was supposed to commence in September 2020.
“NEC noted nonpayment of the outstanding salary shortfall of 2014, 2015, 2016 under the guise of the so called appeal of the National industrial Court decision that granted the judgement in favor of the payment in the first place by Federal Ministry of health.
“NEC observed the plight of her members in state tertiary hospitals such as the non-domestication and non-implementation of Medical Residency Training Act at the state level, the non-implementation of appropriate salary structure, and the non-payment of owed salaries.”
Recall that the Association of Resident Doctors , Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD FCTA) commenced at an indefinite strike on Tuesday, September 1st.
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