Resident doctors to embark on another strike Monday

The Nigerian health sector may witness another round of disruptions as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said it would embark on a nationwide strike from Monday September 7.

The association said this in a statement on Friday by its President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba; Secretary, Dr Bilqis Mohammad, and the Publicity Secretary, Dr Egbogu Stanley, adding that the strike would commence after the 21-day ultimatum it gave to the Federal Government elapsed on August 17.

The doctors had demanded that the Federal Government implement residency funding, pay COVID-19 allowance, hazard allowance as well as the outstanding salary shortfall of 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Read also: COVID-19: Resident doctors threaten fresh strike

It would be recalled that NARD had on June 15, embarked on an indefinite strike, which was suspended on June 22 after the intervention of the Federal Government and other stakeholders in the health sector.

The NARD statement reads in part: “NEC resolved to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action from Monday 7th of September 2020 by 8:00am until the following conditions are met; immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all her members as approved in the revised 2020 budget; provision of genuine Group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers.

“Payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers; determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders; immediate payment of the salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“Doctors working under the various tertiary health institutions to be placed on appropriate salary grade level and universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all state tertiary health institutions; payment of all arrears owed our members in Federal and states tertiary health institutions, arising from the consequential adjustment of the National minimum wage.”

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