Despite threats by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole to invoke the civil service rule of “no work, no pay”, the National Association of Resident Doctors on Monday issued the Federal Government a 21-days ultimatum “following which industrial harmony in various hospitals may not be guaranteed.”
The position of NARD is contained in a communique signed by its President, Dr. Muhammad Adamu Askira; Secretary-General, Dr. Ibrahim Shettima Kuburi and Publicity Secretary, Dr. Uhuaba Eugene Ahuruezenma, issued at the end of its Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
The doctors listed some of their demands to include payments of members’ salaries till date as well as appropriate placement of members in both states and federal tertiary hospitals across the nation.
The group also demanded for the reversal of sacked members in some hospitals as well as appropriate funding of residency training programme.
On the premise that labourers deserved their wages, the communiqué indicated that some of the body’s members in states tertiary hospitals in Osun, Imo, Ekiti, Abia and Kogi, among others, have not been paid salaries ranging from three to eight months.
“At the moment doctors in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Irrua and FMC Owerri have not been paid their December salaries,” the communiqué noted.
The doctors said the case of Osun State government was worrisome, noting that the state has remained unconcerned in spite of the total collapse of the healthcare delivery in the state and its attendant loss of lives.
The group urged the government to adequately fund hospitals at all levels and upgrade existing facilities in public hospitals in line with internationals best practices.
The Resident Doctors noted that upgrading public health facilities in the nation would go a long way in curbing medical tourism.
The communiqué read, “NARD will no longer tolerate the undue sack of resident doctors and demands immediate reversal of such, and urge government at all levels to strictly comply with pension deductions act as amended in 2014.
“We urged the government to ensure appropriate and adequate remuneration of our members at various hospitals.”
