Resident doctors begin indefinite strike over ‘unmet demands’

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced an indefinite strike.

Emeka Orji, NARD president, told TheCable that the strike began at 12am on Wednesday.

In early July, NARD issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government for the implementation of all its demands.

Orji said the association made the decision to carry out the industrial action at a meeting of its national executive council (NEC).

The NARD president said the association is demanding the immediate payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF) and the immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement.

NARD is also demanding payment of skipping arrears and upward review of consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS.

Other demands include payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors and reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The doctors are also demanding new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in state health institutions and payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.

On Monday, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, met with NARD to find a solution to the imminent strike.

Speaking at the meeting, Abbas asked the doctors to take advantage of the talks and bare their minds on “the issues at stake and suggest realistic solutions to them”.

“We must approach these issues with an open mind and guided by the fact that revenues available to the government may not fully meet our demands,” he said.