The University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, branch of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has advised its members to continue their strike in spite of the directive of the national body.
The national leadership of NARD on Thursday suspended the strike by its members over the payment of four months salaries of some doctors as well as proper handling of residency training programmes.
On Monday, the President of the local NARD chapter, Dr. Babatunde Babasanya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the government failed to pay the salaries as promised.
“The federal government said that the money had been released and amendment had been made on the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System but despite their claim, we are yet to be paid in this chapter.
“So the congress of the ARD, UCH, met on Saturday and decided that we should continue the strike until our money is paid. Some other chapters like Owerri and Ife are also not paid.
“They paid some centres and left some, which includes us. The most important thing to us now is the payment of the salaries. They must be paid before we consider suspending the strike,” he said.
Babasanya appealed to the people to bear with the doctors and promised that they would start work as soon as they were paid.
“We feel their suffering but there is nothing we can do. We don’t have any means of coming to work when there is no money to sustain us. We pray that the strike would not last long,” he said.
The Chief Information Officer, UCH, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola, said the management would soon meet the association with the view to resolving the issue. (NAN)
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