By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD)in Nigeria has declared a “total and indefinite strike action,” following unmet demands by the Federal Government.
The association made the disclosure in a terse statement made available on Tuesday evening which they later followed it up with a communique.
The resident doctors listed their demands to include: the immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF, the immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, and the payment of skipping arrears.
The list also noted the upward review of CONMESS in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS, the payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, and the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by MDCN,
Other demands are the payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions, and the payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
Stonix News reports that the strike is coming after the association, on July 5, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government for the implementation of all its demands.
Recall that in an attempt to avert the strike, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday, held deliberations with the leadership of NARD behind closed doors.
Following the private talks, Abbas promised to meet with President Bola Tinubu to avert the industrial action of the resident doctors and announced the setup of an ad hoc committee to meet with all the stakeholders and address the matter.
The Speaker also pleaded with NARD to avail the house leadership a two-week period to find solutions to the issues raised.
