Resident doctors in Nigeria on Friday said they would begin a nationwide strike on Monday after the Federal Government failed to meet their demands.
The doctors, under the aegis of National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, in a statement, said it had resolved to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike from Monday, 7th of September, 2020 by 8:00am.
The statement was signed by its President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba; Secretary, Dr Bilqis Mohammad, and the Publicity Secretary, Dr Egbogu Stanley.
The statement said the strike would only be averted if the government would begin immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all her members as approved in the revised 2020 budget; provision of genuine Group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers.
Some other demands are: payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers; determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders and immediate payment of the salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016.
According to the statement, doctors working under the various tertiary health institutions should be placed on appropriate salary grade level and universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all state tertiary health institutions and payment of all arrears owed members in Federal and states tertiary health institutions, arising from the consequential adjustment of the National minimum wage.
