Resident Doctors To Commence Nationwide Strike Monday

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Friday announced that it will embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from Monday 7th September 2020. 

The National Executive Council of the resident doctors said this was part of its resolutions at a virtual meeting held on Wednesday.

The meeting which was attended by over 200 doctors – NOC, NEC, past presidents, caucus leaders, committee chairmen, and observers, was held to review the 21-day ultimatum issued to the government which elapsed on August 17.

The NEC noted that in spite of the inclusion of the residency funding in the revised 2020 budget, the government has not made plans to implement the payment after several promises by stakeholders. It also noted the failure of the Federal Government to procure group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers.

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The Council said despite agreement reached between the government and stakeholders in the health sector to pay COVID-19 inducement allowance for 6 months (April – September), payment was only made for April, May and June in some institutions and the process was, thereafter, abandoned. 

“NEC observed the insincerity of the government in determining the revised hazard allowance for all health workers which was supposed to commence in September 2020,” the council said.

They, thereafter, resolved, among other things, to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike action from 8:00 am on Monday until some conditions are met.

The conditions according to the Council include the immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all her members as approved in the revised 2020 budget; determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders; provision of genuine group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers, as well as, the payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers.

They also appealed to Nigerians to “bear with us during this period of industrial disharmony”, while calling on relevant stakeholders to intervene in the issue to ensure speedy resolution.

The resident doctors and the Federal Government have been in a long drawn battle over the payment of hazard allowance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July, no fewer than 200 doctors in Lagos State alone contracted the coronavirus in the line of duty.