JUST IN: Resident Doctors Declare Indefinite Strike

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Following the expiration of ultimatum given to government over lingering demands, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, has declared a nationwide indefinite strike from 12 midnight of Wednesday, July 26.

The association demands include immediate payment of Residency Training Fund and issuance of circular for one-for-one replacement of manpower.

They are also demanding an immediate reversal of the downgrading of membership by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN.

The resident doctors listed their demands to include the immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF, the immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, and the payment of skipping arrears.

They further listed the upward review of CONMESS in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS, the payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, and the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by MDCN,

Other demands are the payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions, and the payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.

The strike comes after the association on July 5 issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government for the implementation of all its demands.

In an attempt to avert the strike, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday, held deliberations with the leadership of NARD behind closed doors.

Following the private talks, Abbas promised to meet with President Bola Tinubu to avert the industrial action of the resident doctors and announced the setup of an ad-hoc committee to meet with all the stakeholders and address the matter.

The Speaker also appealed to NARD to give the house leadership a two-week period to find solutions to the issues raised.