The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the N25,000 recently approved by the Federal Government as allowance, saying its industrial action continues.

The NARD, in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) from Monday, July 24, to Saturday, July 29, 2023, insisted all its demands must be met before returning back to work.

The resident doctors, in the communique signed by the NARD President, Orji Emeka Innocent, the Secretary-General, Dr Chikezie Kelechi, and Publicity and Social Secretary Dr Umar Musa, also urged the government to consider ways of placating Nigerians who were currently struggling to grapple with the hardship the removal of petrol subsidy has brought on them.

The resident doctors said: “NEC resolved to continue the ongoing nationwide total and indefinite strike action until reasonable progress is made by the government to address her demands as contained in the ultimatum issued to the federal government on the 5th of July 2023.

“To demand the immediate release of the circular on the One-for-One policy for the replacement of exited clinical workers for implementation, as we cannot continue to watch our members lose their lives and break down under the weight of work overload occasioned by massive depletion of clinical staff in our hospitals on account of brain drain.

“To demand as a matter of urgency, the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).

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“To demand the payment of all salaries and arrears including the salary arrears of 2014-2016, arrears of hazard allowance, arrears of consequential adjustment of the minimum wage, and promotion arrears to our deserving members without further delay.

“To call on the MDCN to reverse herself on the downgrading of the membership certificate as this is an ill wind that blows no one good, adding that continuing on this path would only reduce the value placed on the postgraduate medical training in Nigeria.

“To call on the governors of Abia, Kaduna, and Enugu states as well as other states where our members’ welfare is neglected, to as a matter of urgency look into these challenges in order to resolve them amicably.

“For the avoidance of doubt, these governors are expected to amongothers, clear salary backlogs, pay promotion arrears, adopt/review the CONMESS salary structure, review the hazard allowance, and domesticate the medical residency training act as well as pay the MRTF using the new circular issued by NSIWC in January 2023 (as was done by their counterparts in Delta, Benue, Ogun, and Osun states).

“To vehemently reject the paltry 25% increment in the basic salary of doctors as well as the accouterment allowance, adding that her earlier demand is for full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to its right value as at the time of the approval of the structure in 2009.

“To vehemently reject the casualization of doctors under any guise in alltertiary health institutions in Nigeria, warning that this could be a subject of industrial action in the near future if not nipped in the bud now.

“To call for the immediate unconditional release of our trainer, Prof. Ekanem Philip-Ephraim of UCTH Calaber, and to call on the government to beef up security in the country to forestall such occurrences.”

The Star