A planned peaceful protest by the 10,000 member Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) kicks off across the country, today, barring a last minute call-off.
The 10,000 doctors, dissatisfied with government’s tepid response to their recent strike action, which entailed a downing of tools inside Nigeria’s 76 Teaching Hospitals where they work are opting for more visibility and hoping for enhanced impact.
As such, from today (Wednesday), the doctors are embarking on daily peaceful protests and picketing of the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide, to enhance visibility, garner public support and hopefully force a response from government to their requests.
NARD said in a statement Saturday, that the action had become necessary to press home the doctors’ demands, which according to them, have been largely neglected by their parent ministry and the Federal Government.
The statement followed NARD’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and was jointly signed by the National President, Dr. Emeka Orji, and the Secretary, Dr. Chikezie Kelechi.
The association had 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.”
It further stated: “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.
“The NEC of NARD insists 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.”
The added: “We are pained that rather than make genuine and concerted efforts to resolve the challenges that led to the industrial action despite repeated ultimatums, our parent ministry and the Federal Government have chosen to demonise Nigerian resident doctors instead, after all their sacrifices and patriotism.
“We, therefore, resolved that it is time the whole world hears our side of the story – the decay and corruption in the health sector, as well as the neglect the public health institutions have suffered all these years that led to repeated industrial actions.”
Government has continued to express sympathy with NARD and promise to attend to their demands but has apparently been playing for time.
Informed sources say government’s slowness to respond to the doctors’ demands has to do with the newness of the President Tinubu administration office, the absence of a requisite minister in office, concerns as to how to source the funds to meet the demands and fears of a possible deluge of similar demands from other sectors.
