Nationwide strike looms as resident doctors down tools in 5 days
Following the government’s failure to meet their demands, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared a five-day warning strike, starting from 8 am on Wednesday, May 17, and ending at 8 am on Monday, May 22.
The decision was reached at NARD’s extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held virtually on Monday.
On April 29, 2023, the doctors issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government, demanding the immediate fulfillment of their demands or face industrial action. The ultimatum expired on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Dr. Emeka Innocent Orji, President of NARD, stated that if the government fails to respond to their issues after the five-day warning strike, they will have no choice but to embark on an indefinite strike.
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“The update from the meeting is that our members nationwide have given us the mandate to declare a total strike. The strike will begin this Wednesday and last for five days. Afterward, we will review the situation. If the government does not address the issues we have enumerated, we will have no choice but to initiate an indefinite strike action,” Dr. Orji explained.
The doctors have made several demands, including the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and the settlement of all salary arrears.
They are also calling for a 200 percent increase in gross salary, in in addition to the implementation of new allowances outlined in their letter to the Minister of Health on July 7, 2022, requesting a review of CONMESS.
Furthermore, NARD is demanding the prompt implementation of CONMESS, the domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA), and a review of hazard allowances by all state governments and private tertiary health institutions involved in residency training.
