Resident Doctors to stage daily protest over unmet demands

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said it will embark on a daily peaceful protest, picketing the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide from Wednesday.

Stating the notice in a letter addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) on Saturday, the association said this is to press home its demands which have been largely neglected by the Federal Government.

The letter was signed by NARD President, Dr Emeka Orji and Secretary-General, Dr Chikezie Kelechi.

“We wish to bring to your notice, of the decision of the National Executive Council of NARD to embark on daily peaceful protests and picketing of FMOH, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“Also, all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide, with effect from Aug. 9 at 10.00 a.m.

“This has become necessary to press home our demands which have been largely neglected by our parent ministry and the Federal Government.

“We are pained that rather than make genuine and concerted efforts to resolve the challenges that led to the industrial action in spite of repeated ultimatums, our parent ministry and the Federal Government have chosen to demonise Nigerian resident doctors instead, after all their sacrifices and patriotism.

“We therefore resolved that it is time the whole world hears our side of the story, the decay and corruption in the health sector as well as the neglect, the public health institutions have suffered all these years that led to repeated industrial actions,” the letter read.

NARD, however, said that it believed that the government still had time to genuinely address the issues at stake before Aug. 9, or leave it with no other option.

NARD had on July 25 declared a “total and indefinite strike action”.

The resident doctors listed their demands to include the immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF, the immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, and the payment of skipping arrears.

The list also noted the upward review of CONMESS in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS, the payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, and the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by MDCN.

Other demands are the payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions, and the payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.