National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) today begins a three-day warning strike to re-echo their /demand for the implementation of the payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances.
The President of NARD, Dr. Jibril Abdullahi confirmed the development to reporters at NARD secretariat at Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano on Sunday.
He said the Minister of Health, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu should be held responsible for his non-commitment to the plight and demand of the Resident Doctors in the country.
According to him, the grouse of the Resident Doctors include the issues of relativity in salary between Doctors and other health workers as well as skipping of grade level 12.
The Resident Doctors further argued that there was need for the Federal Ministry of Health to adopt world standard and best practices in terms of salary structure, pointing out that there is nowhere in the world where Doctor’s salary are at par with that of other health workers.
Dr. Abdullahi also announced that the resumption date for the three-day warning strike will be on Thursday, June 5, adding that NARD being aware of nagging security situation in the country may give peculiarities to emergency services for the sake of common Nigerians.
He further warned that if the Federal Government fails to implement their demands, the Resident Doctors will not hesitate to embark on an indefinite strike action from July 1, 2014.
Dr. Abdullahi stated that among the demands of NARD include full payment of salaries of their members in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, “we are dismayed by the fact that the payment was only for September salaries of Resident Doctors and one month rather than two for the out gone House Officers.”
“Similarly, the current batches of House Officers in the same institution were just paid two months’ salary rather than three months as was done to the interns of other professions that came in together with them. Moreover, no explanation was given for this aberration. In a nutshell, two out of three months’ payment was made and another one month withheld.”
“The Federal Ministry of Health has shown lack of commitment towards the resolution of the deadlock. After exhaustive deliberations with Local Chapter Presidents and other stakeholders, NARD hereby rejects what the Government offers regarding these issues,” he added.
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