The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it will embark on an indefinite strike from April 1 if the federal government fails to meet its demands.

This is contained in a communiqué issued on Sunday in Abuja at the end of NARD’s extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting.

The communique was signed by Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, NARD President, Jerry Isogun, Secretary-General, and Dotun Osikoya, Publicity and Social Secretary.

The communiqué said that the NEC had agreed that it would proceed on a total and indefinite strike on April 1, 2021, by 8:00 a.m.

This, according to NARD, is if immediate payment of all salaries owed to all house officers, including March salaries, were not paid before the end of business on March 31, 2021.

NARD demanded a review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of all health workers’ consolidated basic salaries and payment of outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance upward.

The association called for abolishing exorbitant bench fees being paid by members on outside postings in all training institutions across the country.

NARD said that payment of salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016 to members in all federal institutions, including state-owned ones as earlier agreed with NARD, must be paid.

According to the association, there must be payment of death in service insurance for all health workers who died due to COVID-19 infection and other infectious diseases.

There should be universal domestication and implementation of the 2017 MRTA by all federal and state-owned training institutions, it added.

This, according to the association, is to ensure proper funding of residency training in the country as stipulated by the act.

NARD called for the commencement of employment into all government-owned hospitals to improve service delivery to Nigerians and enhance residency training to curb brain drain in the health sector.

The association also sought for the review of the act regulating postgraduate medical training

in Nigeria in line with international best practices.

NARD demanded the sack of the registrar of MDCN for failing to demonstrate competence in handling the central placement of house officers.

The communiqué added that it would give room for smooth implementation of house officers’ central placement without delays.

The statement reiterated NARD’s commitment to the smooth-running of tertiary institutions in the country and specialist healthcare provision to Nigerians.

However, NARD urged the government to urgently meet the above demands to avert this avoidable industrial action.

(NAN)