No justification for Lagos resident doctors to join NARD strike, says state government

The Lagos state government has appealed to the resident doctors in the state to return to work.

Babatunde Williams, special adviser to the Lagos governor on labour and industrial relations, made the plea on Thursday during a meeting with the executives of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) association of resident doctors.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a five-day warning strike on Wednesday due to the federal government’s inability to meet its demand.

Some of the demands include massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals; immediate infrastructural development in hospitals and an allocation of at least 15% of the budgetary provisions to health; immediate payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF); and the immediate increment in the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) to the tune of 200% of the gross salary of doctors.

Williams said there was no justification for doctors in the state to join the national body on the strike since the state had met all of NARD’s demands — except the review of hazard allowance and MRTF.

“On the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), he requested the association to forward the list of omitted doctors in the year 2022 so that they will be paid along with the year 2023, noting that the Permanent Secretary has been advised to write all  MDA’s to request for information required to process the year 2023 payment to be submitted not later than one week,” the statement reads.

“The Special Adviser said there had not been a breakdown in negotiation with Resident Doctors in the State, advising that there was a need for the body to review its actions and return to work.”

Olusegun Ogboye, permanent secretary of the ministry of health, assured the doctors that the ministry would do a follow-up to ensure the prompt payment of the 2023 MRTF.