The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said its demands are neither “new nor unreasonable” but reflect the minimum requirements needed to sustain a functional and effective healthcare system nationwide.

The association’s statement was signed on Monday in Abuja by its President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, Secretary-General Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Abdulmajid Ibrahim.

The statement clarified the association’s position on doctors’ welfare and its ongoing industrial action.

NARD responded to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recent statement on efforts to improve doctors’ welfare, emphasising that government assurances did not reflect the reality experienced across hospitals nationwide.

Resident doctors began a Total, Indefinite, and Comprehensive (TIC) strike on November 1.

This followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unmet welfare and payment demands.

Acknowledging the ministry’s reassurances, NARD said hospital realities contradicted official optimism, stressing that the clarification was necessary for President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to understand the true nature of doctors’ grievances.

NARD’s demands include settlement of long-standing arrears, correction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) irregularities, and prompt implementation of delayed promotions and professional upgrades for resident doctors nationwide.

The association noted that while the ministry claimed more than N30 billion had been released for health worker arrears, doctors had received only a small fraction, diverting attention from their primary welfare demands.

The association noted, “These arrears, including 25/35 per cent CONMESS review, accoutrement, promotion, upgrade, and salary payments, have lingered for five years without full government offset, fueling frustration among resident doctors across federal hospitals.”

Although some arrears were partially paid before the strike, NARD said many doctors had not received full payments, emphasising that the partial action fell short of meeting their legitimate financial entitlements.

On recruitment, NARD expressed concern that reported mass employment of health workers lacked verifiable evidence, while the number of resident doctors had declined sharply due to poor pay and unsafe work conditions.

It said Nigeria’s active resident doctors dropped from 15,000–16,000 a decade ago to barely 9,000–10,000 today, despite a rising disease burden, driving the exodus of medical professionals abroad for better opportunities.

NARD acknowledged recent disbursement from the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), but stressed it was a statutory entitlement, not a favour, and must be promptly paid with adjustments for inflation and economic realities.

The association criticised delayed reinstatement of dismissed doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, calling it insensitive amid a national shortage of skilled medical professionals and worsening patient care.

It urged government correction of certificate re-categorisation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which had demoralised doctors and undermined their professional achievements and career progression.

NARD demanded that resident doctors providing specialist-level services received the specialist allowance and called for a review of the professional allowance table to align with the minimum wage and inflation trends.

The association also decried unpaid salaries, non-implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, and widespread casualisation of doctors across federal hospitals, stressing the need for systemic reform in personnel management.

“Issues of salary relativity and excessive work hours without compensation must be resolved to ensure genuine industrial harmony, safeguard healthcare workers’ dignity, and improve patient care quality across all federal institutions.”

Beyond financial concerns, NARD emphasised that the struggle was about doctors’ dignity, safety, and the survival of both healthcare workers and the patients they served under challenging conditions.

It said doctors continued to work in poor, unsafe conditions, often without recognition or support, highlighting the urgent need for government action to prevent further decline of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

NARD reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and willingness to resume work once verifiable actions, not mere promises, were taken to address welfare, arrears, and structural issues in the healthcare system.

The association appealed to Nigerians for understanding, stressing that the strike targeted systemic failures, not the public, aiming to save the nation’s collapsing healthcare system and protect both medical staff and patients. 

(NAN)