The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has resolved to embark on an indefinite industrial action on Thursday, April 1 over amongst other things, payment of all salaries arrears as well as poor welfare of their members across the country. NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, confirmed the development in a statement issued at the end of its extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held, at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja, on Saturday. The resident doctors said their ultimatum given to the federal government at the January NEC meeting in Owerri, Imo State capital will expire by midnight on March 31, 2021, with no significant response from the authorities.
The doctors lamented the difficulties experienced by some of their members in the GIFMIS platform who have not been paid salaries for four months now due to a delay in biometric capturing by the IPPIS department.
The dissatisfied doctors further lamented the alleged inhumane treatment being meted on members in some state tertiary institutions including Abia State University Teaching Hospitals (ABSUTH), which owed some of their members 20 months’ salaries; Imo State University Teaching Hospitals (IMSUTH), five months’ salaries; and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), three months’ salaries.
“The NEC observed that her earlier ultimatum given to the federal government during the January 2021 NEC meeting in Owerri, will expire by 12 midnight on March 31, 2021, with no significant achievement.
“The NEC unanimously agreed that NARD should proceed on a total and indefinite strike on April 1, 2021, by 8 am if the demands are not met,” Mr. Okhuaihesuyi said.
“The NEC reiterated her full support for the central placement of house officers. Nevertheless, they decried the agony our members have been made to pass through for three months now without salaries despite uninterrupted service delivery to the nation. This is due to the inefficiency of the Registrar of MDCN in handling the processes of the central placement of house officers as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) since 2017”.
