The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, on Monday said it has commenced an indefinite strike over the non-payment of 10 months salaries of some of its members.
The President of the Obafemi Awolowo University chapter of the association, Dr. Wole Ayegbusi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Monday morning.
He said, “We have started an indefinite strike this morning to drive home our demands.
“The most saddening part of it is that our members in the state teaching hospitals have not been paid for 10 months and these are some of the members that are rendering essential services.
“We need to realise that, we cannot be comparing doctors to other civil servants because if they(civil servants) fall sick and doctors are not well paid, they will never be well attended to.
“You will be surprised that today, some federal teaching hospitals have not paid December salaries, which is unfair because it affects our productivity.
“Also some of our members have been sacked for an unjust cause and several times we have made efforts to dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Health but maybe due to their selfish reason or incompetence , we have not been able to actualise that.
“Most of the community people are poor and they cannot travel abroad to get treatment.”
Ayegbusi lamented government’s neglect of the country’s health sector and wondered why they should ignore the payment of some doctors salaries who were on essential duties for as long as 10 months and expect them to be attending to patients.
He said that NARD had resorted to the strike because it appears to be the only language the government understands.
Ayegbusi pointed out that the strike would have been avoidable had the federal government done anything with the ultimatum issued it by the association, adding that the indefinite strike became necessary because nothing had been done on all the issues raised with them.
He added, “We want this strike to end as soon as possible because it is an avoidable one. I can see no reason why the Federal Government cannot answer our prayers.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari came to office he promised to fulfill all the agreements we have had with the government before he assumed office but nothing was done even after the ultimatum we gave.”
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