Resident Doctors Vow To Continue Strike, Accuse FG Of Insincerity

*You Have No Justification For Strike, FG Tells
Doctors

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has vowed to
continue its nationwide strike that has prevented access to
healthcare across hospitals.

At its national executive council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday,
the association said there is no going back on their resolve to
down tools until all their demands are met.

The doctors also accused the federal government of being
insincere in its response to their grievances.

“The NEC unanimously voted that the ongoing total and indefinite
strike that started on the 1st of April 2021 be continued until the
federal and state governments of Nigeria meets up with our
demands,” NARD said in a communique sent to TheCable.

The resident doctors went on strike on April 1 to protest issues
which mostly bother on poor remuneration and conditions of
service.

The Federal Government has said the National Association of
Resident Doctors has lost all moral and legal grounds to continue
its seven-day-old strike, urging them to call off the action.

You Have No Justification For Strike, FG Tells
Doctors

In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Chris Ngige, said the Federal Government has not only
“substantially met the seven-point demand by NARD, it has also
demonstrated transparency in their implementation.”

He noted, “The House Officers have started receiving their
payments in the federal government teaching hospitals and federal
medical centres across the federation. I spoke with the Accountant
General of the Federation as well as with two Chief medical
directors of teaching hospitals this morning and they confirmed
payment to house officers.

“By the close of work today, all would have been paid as the
officers at the office of the AGF worked even during the public
holidays to this effect.”

According to the minister, though some of the house officers
were recruited outside the quota allocated by the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria, and some recruited between January and
March when there was an embargo on selective recruitment by
teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, amnesty was granted
to all to be paid in line with the Memorandum of Action.

Ngige further said, “We have also abolished benching in training
as well as stopped the deduction of N15,000 per month from the
salaries of house doctors for accommodation. We directed the refund
of the deductions and the entire money is now paid to the house
doctors to negotiate with the local authorities and sort out
individual accommodation.

“The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has also opened her
online portal for the recruitment of house officers effective April
1, 2021 in the spirit of the MOA . It has also started recruiting
and posting house doctors almost immediately, even within the
public holidays. All these are items time-lined in the MOA for
execution within three to four weeks and that is why we agreed to
meet in four weeks to access implementation.

“We have an MOA that is signed by all the affected agencies of
government, namely the Federal Ministry of Health, Chairman of the
Committee of Chief Medical Directors , chairman of the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria, Budget Office of the Federation , Office
of the accountant General of the Federation, officials of the
Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour as the conciliating
body.’’

The minister said the President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa
Okhuaihesuyi, has also acknowledged when he met him in the company
of the Minister of State, Health and the Secretary of the Nigerian
Medical Association, that the president of the Nigerian Medical
Association, Prof I. Uja, kept the leadership of NARD in the dark
over the ongoing initial step of the review of the Hazard Allowance
with the Remuneration Committee of the NMA, Federal Ministry of
labour and Employment as well as the National Salaries Income and
Wages Commission.

‘’And that it was for this reason that NARD erroneously brought
it up as part of their demands for negotiation,’’ the statement
noted.

*You Have No Justification For Strike, FG Tells
Doctors

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has vowed to
continue its nationwide strike that has prevented access to
healthcare across hospitals.

At its national executive council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday,
the association said there is no going back on their resolve to
down tools until all their demands are met.

The doctors also accused the federal government of being
insincere in its response to their grievances.

“The NEC unanimously voted that the ongoing total and indefinite
strike that started on the 1st of April 2021 be continued until the
federal and state governments of Nigeria meets up with our
demands,” NARD said in a communique sent to TheCable.

The resident doctors went on strike on April 1 to protest issues
which mostly bother on poor remuneration and conditions of
service.

The Federal Government has said the National Association of
Resident Doctors has lost all moral and legal grounds to continue
its seven-day-old strike, urging them to call off the action.

You Have No Justification For Strike, FG Tells
Doctors

In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Chris Ngige, said the Federal Government has not only
“substantially met the seven-point demand by NARD, it has also
demonstrated transparency in their implementation.”

He noted, “The House Officers have started receiving their
payments in the federal government teaching hospitals and federal
medical centres across the federation. I spoke with the Accountant
General of the Federation as well as with two Chief medical
directors of teaching hospitals this morning and they confirmed
payment to house officers.

“By the close of work today, all would have been paid as the
officers at the office of the AGF worked even during the public
holidays to this effect.”

According to the minister, though some of the house officers
were recruited outside the quota allocated by the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria, and some recruited between January and
March when there was an embargo on selective recruitment by
teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, amnesty was granted
to all to be paid in line with the Memorandum of Action.

Ngige further said, “We have also abolished benching in training
as well as stopped the deduction of N15,000 per month from the
salaries of house doctors for accommodation. We directed the refund
of the deductions and the entire money is now paid to the house
doctors to negotiate with the local authorities and sort out
individual accommodation.

“The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has also opened her
online portal for the recruitment of house officers effective April
1, 2021 in the spirit of the MOA . It has also started recruiting
and posting house doctors almost immediately, even within the
public holidays. All these are items time-lined in the MOA for
execution within three to four weeks and that is why we agreed to
meet in four weeks to access implementation.

“We have an MOA that is signed by all the affected agencies of
government, namely the Federal Ministry of Health, Chairman of the
Committee of Chief Medical Directors , chairman of the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria, Budget Office of the Federation , Office
of the accountant General of the Federation, officials of the
Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour as the conciliating
body.’’

The minister said the President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa
Okhuaihesuyi, has also acknowledged when he met him in the company
of the Minister of State, Health and the Secretary of the Nigerian
Medical Association, that the president of the Nigerian Medical
Association, Prof I. Uja, kept the leadership of NARD in the dark
over the ongoing initial step of the review of the Hazard Allowance
with the Remuneration Committee of the NMA, Federal Ministry of
labour and Employment as well as the National Salaries Income and
Wages Commission.

‘’And that it was for this reason that NARD erroneously brought
it up as part of their demands for negotiation,’’ the statement
noted.