Resident doctors begin indefinite strike amid Nigeria’s health crisis
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has embarked on an indefinite strike.
NARD’s national president Innocent Orji disclosed this via a WhatsApp message late Tuesday.
According to him, the major demands of the resident doctors are immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and payment of skipping arrears.
Others are an upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS and payment of arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to omitted doctors.
The resident doctors are also demanding the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
In a communique on July 5 after its virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting (E-NEC), the resident doctors issued a fresh notice to the federal government to meet its demands within two weeks or risk industrial disharmony in the health sector.
The communique was signed jointly by NARD’s president, secretary general, Chikezie Kelechi and the publicity and social secretary, Umar Musa.
The resident doctors embarked on a five-day warning strike on May 17, urging the government to address its concerns before May 29 to avoid industrial disharmony.
The industrial action was embarked upon after the two-week ultimatum issued on April 29 expired on May 13. The resident doctors suspended the strike on May 21.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, had on Monday urged the resident doctors to suspend the impending strike during a meeting between the leadership of the House and NARD in Abuja.
(NAN)
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