The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared a five-day warning strike following the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to meet its demands.
NARD had issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal
government to implement the agreement reached on the welfare of its members.
The resident doctors had made this known in a communique
issued after its national executive council meeting in April at Abeokuta, Ogun
state.
The association said failure to comply with its demands
within the time frame may lead to “industrial disharmony”.
However, the resident doctors after its six and half hours
extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held virtually on Monday,
reached the decision.
It noted that the strike will commence at 8am on Wednesday,
May 17, and will end Monday, May 22, at 8am.
The strike was predicated upon burning issues affecting the
welfare of the doctors and the alarming rate of flight of doctors and other
healthcare workers on account of poor remuneration, grossly inadequate funding
of the health sector, and the attendant negative effect on the citizens and the
health workers.
They are demanding an immediate increment in the
Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the
current gross salary of doctors in addition to the new allowances included in
the letter written by the association to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie
Ehanire on July 7, 2022, on the review of CONMESS.