THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the 25 per cent increase made to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure by the Federal Government.
This was disclosed in a communique issued on Saturday, July 29 after the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos.
The communique was signed by the president of the association, Orji Emeka Innocent, secretary-general, Chikezie Kelechi, and publicity and social secretary, Umar Musa.
They insisted that their earlier demands was for full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CMSS) to its right value as at the time of the approval of the structure in 2009.
“NEC vehemently rejects the paltry 25 per cent increment in the basic salary of doctors, as well as the accouterment allowance”, the communique said.
The doctors embarked on an indefinite industrial action on Wednesday, July 26, after the expiration of a two-week ultimatum earlier issued to the government.
Orji said the strike continues indefinitely until reasonable progress is made by the government to address the association’s demands as contained in the ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government.
The doctors’ demands include immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), tangible steps on the “upward review” of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and payment of all salary arrears owed its members, since 2015.
The doctors also want immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and abolishment of the bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who leave the system.
They also want the immediate review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as private tertiary health institutions where any form of residency training is done.
In response to the demands, The ICIR reported that the Federal Government approved the payment of N25,000 peculiar allowance for the medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres and clinics in the federal public service.
The ICIR reports that this is not the first time the resident’s doctors would be embarking on strike, as they had downed tools for 159 days since 2013, making the group the only association of workers in the nation’s health sector that has embarked on industrial action beyond 100 days within the period.
NARD’s current strike is the first major workers face-off with the Federal Government since President Bola Tinubu took over power on May 29.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.