The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has again threatened to go on strike if the Nigerian government fails to meet its demands.
The association in a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Monday, and signed by the President, Emeka Orji, said that the strike process will commence if the demand is not met before the scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. for January 24.
A resident doctor is a doctor who is currently training as a specialist/consultant. They made many doctors in Nigerian tertiary hospitals and when NARD went on strike, activities in the hospital were paralyzed.
About six months ago, the association issued an ultimatum to the government on account of lingering unresolved issues affecting its members, including irregularities in the new circular in the review of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
The doctors demanded, among other things, the immediate implementation, and the payment of benefits and arrears of new dangers.
NARD said some arrears for 2014, 2015, and 2016 remain unpaid despite several negotiations with the government.
It also noted the nonpayment of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage for some members and the delay in the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
Doctors also highlighted the failure of the government to clear the arrears of salaries of members in the tertiary health institutions of the state including Abia, Imo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Gombe States, and the non-domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) in most states. through the federation.
Requests that are not followed
Doctors said that while some demands have been met, many are still pending and are a source of serious national agitation.
“We appreciate the government’s efforts through ministries, departments, and agencies to resolve some of the issues raised.
“However, many of them remain unresolved and have now become a source of national agitation that threatens the peace and harmony of the industry in the health sector.”
NARD said that the most important are “The eliminated MRTF 2020 payments, the irregularities in the new MRTF circular that is inconsistent with the Medical Residency Training Act, the existing collective bargaining agreement and the current economic reality and the review of the CONMESS salary structure.”
Industrial action
The association said it would initiate nationwide industrial action if its demands were not met promptly.
He said chaos could ensue if the government did not take measures to prevent such attacks.
“We can clearly confirm that if the issue is not resolved before the meeting, our members will give orders to immediately start a process that will lead to industrial disharmony in the health sector,” the association wrote.
Dealing with persistent attacks
In November 2022, the Nigerian government announced plans to review the salary structure of doctors and other health workers to prevent further industrial action.
Medical doctors and other health workers have repeatedly downed tools over the government’s failure to review the salary structure they claim has been rescheduled since 2014.
The government has promised to look into the issue as soon as possible and agree on a resolution. However, no major steps have been taken to address the issue.
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