By John Ikani
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given a two-week ultimatum to the Nigerian Federal Government to address its demands or face a shutdown of the country’s healthcare sector.
NARD’s demands include a 200% salary increase for doctors and the withdrawal of a bill that seeks to prevent Nigerian-trained medical doctors from being issued full practicing licenses or allowed to travel abroad for five years.
The ultimatum was issued by NARD President, Dr Emeka Innocent, at an Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting of the association held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Dr Innocent expressed concern that the government has not taken any tangible steps to address the issue of the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which was last reviewed over ten years ago.
“Despite several engagements by NARD with the government on the need to upwardly review the CONMESS, the government has neither called NARD to the negotiation table nor taken any tangible step in addressing the issue,” he said.
He also recalled that NARD had previously issued ultimatums to the government regarding the review of the CONMESS salary structure.
In addition, the NARD President frowned at the “deliberate refusal by the government to pay the salary arrears of 2014, 2015 and 2016 to our members as well as the arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.”
He also noted that many state governors have failed to implement the appropriate CONMESS structure, domesticate the medical residency training act (MRTA), or improve on the hazard allowance paid to NARD members.
The nine-point resolutions issued by NARD included demands for an immediate 200% increment in the CONMESS salary structure and the commencement of payment of all salary arrears owed to its members, including the 2014, 2015, and 2016 salary arrears.
The body also demanded the immediate recruitment of clinical staff in hospitals and the complete abolishment of bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors who leave the system.
The association resolved to issue a two-week ultimatum beginning from April 29, 2023, to resolve all these demands.
After the expiration of the ultimatum on May 13, 2023, NARD warned that it may not be able to guarantee industrial harmony in the sector nationwide.
The NARD’s demands have been echoed by medical practitioners across the country, who have decried the poor working conditions and remuneration for doctors.
The Nigerian healthcare sector has been plagued by strikes and protests by healthcare workers who have demanded better working conditions, payment of salary arrears, and improved welfare packages.
As the ultimatum deadline approaches, stakeholders are hoping that the government will take urgent steps to address the demands of the NARD to prevent the shutdown of the healthcare sector.
