The president, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife chapter, Anthony Anuforo, has assured the citizenry that immediately the federal government pays members’ salaries, their current strike would be called off.

Mr Anuforo gave the assurance in an interview on Tuesday in Ile-Ife.

He said that the NARD Ile-Ife branch has been engaging the university management since March 2023 when they called their attention to unpaid salaries, adding that some of them have been owed since January 2023.

The NARD president commended the efforts of the immediate past interim association for trying its best to get the salaries paid and pledged that his team would strive further to get the salaries paid.

According to him, there are unpaid hazard allowances since 2017, COVID-19 allowances, and salary arrears, among others.

Anuforo called on stakeholders to intervene on the matter to get the University management “to pay our members”.

He noted that the ultimatum given to the federal government on resident doctors’ national strike ends on Wednesday but regrets that their demands have not been met.

Mr Anuforo said the present NARD management that took the mantle for the past two weeks is doing all in its capacity to ensure the payment of owed salaries.

“I believed that the strike will give the Federal Government the momentum to expedite action on the payment and other allowances.

“The government should do its best on the health sector by increasing the budgetary allocation for health,” Mr Anuforo emphasised.

Mr Anuforo pleaded with the populace for understanding, adding that the strike was for the benefit of both the doctors and patients because a hungry and angry doctor is a dangerous doctor.

“Let government take care of members of the association, then the doctors will, in turn, take care of patients,” Mr Anuforo urged.

While the strike is on, only consultants are currently attending to patients.

(NAN)