Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) may likely call off their strike within the next 48 hours.
This is the result of the reconciliation meeting the association had with the Federal Government, represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige on Friday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the government and the NARD after the meeting.
Earlier, the doctors’ association also held a meeting with the National Assembly Joint Health Committee – both the Senate and House of Representatives Committee Chair on Health, and other relevant stakeholders in attendance.
The NARD, however, stressed that MoU would be taken back to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NARD, which will analyze the content of the MoU, and decide to accept what the government is offering and suspend the strike or extend the ultimatum because there are timelines for many of the things in the MoU.
It further stressed that should the NEC reject what the government is offering in the signed MoU, it may be forced to embark on an indefinite strike.
Recall that on April 29, 2023, the association issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands. The 14-day ultimatum ended on May 13, 2023.
However, on Wednesday, May 17, the NARD began its five-day warning strike over unmet demands. The warning strike is expected to end on Monday, May 22, at 8 am.
Chief among the association’s demands are: Among them are: 200 per cent review of their Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), issuance of a circular by the House of Representatives jettisoning the bill by Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, which seeks to stop young doctors from leaving the country without a five-year service period.
Other demands are: issuance of a circular by the Federal Ministry of Health for replacement of doctors and nurses that have left the system with new ones, and the payment of salary arrears, improvement in hazard allowance by state governments, among others.