The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced a complete and indefinite strike starting from Wednesday due to the federal government’s failure to meet its demands.
According to Dr. Emeka Innocent, the President of NARD, this indefinite strike comes after a warning strike and several extended ultimatums by the association. Despite the resolutions made during a conciliatory meeting chaired by the then Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, none of them have been implemented within the specified time frames, Nigerian Tribune maintained.
The major demands of the doctors include immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), prompt release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, settlement of skipping arrears, an upward review of CONMESS in line with restoring full salary to the 2014 value, and payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of the minimum to the omitted doctors.
Other significant demands encompass reversing the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), providing payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping, and implementing corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions, as well as settling omitted hazard allowance arrears.