Moves to schedule a meeting between the agitating Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Federal Government last week failed, apparently on account of a busy programme and travels by President Bola Tinubu.
NARD, which represents about 10,000 resident doctors serving in government hospitals, had issued a fresh two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government July 5.
The ultimatum was in pursuit of the implementation of a 200 percent increment in the salary structure of resident doctors, other benefits, and the fulfilment of unmet promises.
The ultimatum issued by NARD to government lapses midnight of today, Wednesday, July 19. However, the consequences of a failure on the part of government to comply are not spelt out and, therefore, apparently implied.
NARD simply said in its message that in the event of non-compliance by government, it “cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the Health Sector nationwide”.
The doctors’ association further said its resolution was taken at a virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting (E-NEC) to appraise the level of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the government on May 19, 2023, following a five-day warning strike it embarked upon on May 17.
Sources close to government say preliminary interventions were made with NARD members and persons of influence in the realm of medical professionals, pending a formal meeting which government had planned to have with the doctors before the expiration of the deadline.
Informed sources hint that government would want some time to properly address the doctors’ demands as it grapples with myriad challenges at hand, and an effort to settle better into its assigned role, less than eight weeks into its inauguration into office.
NARD is, however, unrelenting in its demands which have been belaboured and pending before the onset of the Tinubu administration.
The association urged government to quickly pay outstanding arrears owed its members in the interest of industrial harmony. It listed the arrears as including hazard allowance and the skipping arrears from 2014 to 2016, as well as arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum wage.
A communiqué issued by NARD read in part: “We demand the immediate release and the implementation of the guidelines on one-for-one replacement of clinical staff to cushion the effect of the massive manpower shortage in our various hospitals nationwide.
“NEC calls on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to discontinue the downgrading of the membership certificate issued by the West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical colleges as this is not obtainable in other parts of West Africa where these same certificates are issued.
“NEC demands the immediate payment of all Salary Arrears, implementation of the CONMESS salary structure and new Hazard Allowance and domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act and payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund to our members in the State Tertiary Health Institutions nationwide.
“NEC hereby wishes to further extend her already expired ultimatum issued to the government by 2 weeks with effect from today 5th July 2023.
“The NEC of NARD insist on the immediate implementation of a minimum of 200% increment in the CONMESS (Consolidated Medical Salary Structure) and upward review of the associated allowances as requested in her previous letters on the subject matter since the current economic realities in the country cannot justify the continued payment of CONMESS as it is at the moment, or any increment below the 200% as demanded.
“For purposes of emphasis, at the expiration of this further extended ultimatum by 19th of July 2023, if all these demands are not met, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the Health Sector nationwide.”
Nigeria has about 10,000 resident doctors, according to NARD estimates for November 2022. In total, there are 24,000 doctors including consultants, resident doctors, and medical officers engaged in the country’s health sector.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors is an affiliate of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). It has 76 branches domiciled mainly in Federal and State-owned Teaching Hospitals.
Nigeria currently has 22 Teaching Hospitals, 20 Federal Medical Centres and 17 specialist hospitals.
Given the fact that there are only 24,000 doctors working in Nigeria, the current doctor-patient ratio is 1:9,083, a stark contrast with WHO’s recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients. With 218 million people to cater for, Nigeria requires at least 363,000 additional doctors to meet this target. Much of the deficit is caused by a brain drain of Nigerian doctors pursuing better prospects abroad.
