Again, resident doctors threaten to strike over unpaid salary shortfalls, COVID-19 hazard allowance

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to resume its suspended strike on Monday, August 17, 2020, if the government fails to address its demands.

It expressed dismay over the non-payment of salary shortfall for 2014-2016, despite promises by several stakeholders to intervene, which led to the suspension of the strike action.

NARD also demanded the immediate payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance to its members, which it described as long overdue.

In a communiqué after its conference in Gombe State, NARD President, Dr. Sokomba Aliyu called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to investigate the non-enrollment of healthcare workers for the group life insurance, and non-payment of death in service benefit to the next of kin of their deceased colleagues, despite claims of payment to insurance companies.

He said the association had resolved to extend the suspension of its strike action by three-weeks to give the government time to address its demands, failure will leave NARD with no choice than to embark on another strike action.

Sokomba noted that though the medical residency training funding has been captured in the revised 2020 budget signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, its implementation is yet to commence, disclosing that COVID-19 hazard allowance payment was abruptly abandoned immediately the NARD strike was suspended.

He observed that the initial intervention of the House Committee on Insurance led to addressing the non-payment/non-enrolment of resident doctors for Life insurance, saying the move has now been abandoned. He called for immediate implementation and funding of the medical residency training act as agreed.

He said, “NEC noted with dismay the continued administrative rascality and victimisation of her members by the Chief Medical Director of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. And frowned at the undue suspension of resident doctors, who also double as the legitimate executive council officers of ARD UPTH.

“NEC demands immediate removal of the Chief Medical Director of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Prof Henry Ugboma for fraud, administrative rascality, unnecessary onslaught/ victimisation and abuse of the office of the chief medical director. We also demand the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the suspended UPTH ARD EXCOs led by Dr. Solomon Amadi…”