• To picket SGF, hospitals, others
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Striking doctors under the umbrella of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have notified the Federal Ministry of Health of their intention to commence daily protest nationwide.
The doctors explained that the decision was to draw global attention to their plight, and the inability of the ministry and other relevant stakeholders to resolve the issues that led to the nationwide strike.
A statement jointly signed by Dr. Orji, Emeka Innocent and Dr. Chikezie Kelechi, NARD President and Secretary General, respectively, indicated that the nationwide daily protest would commence on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
The doctors, in a letter addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, titled, “Notice of nationwide mass protest and picketing by NARD” informed that they would picket the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide.
The letter added: “This has become necessary to press home our demands which have been largely neglected by our parent ministry and the federal government.
“We are pained that rather than make genuine and concerted efforts to resolve the challenges that led to the industrial action, despite repeated ultimatums, our parent ministry and the federal government have chosen to demonize Nigerian resident doctors instead, after all their sacrifices and patriotism.
“We, therefore, resolved that it is time the whole world hears our side of the story, the decay and corruption in the health sector as well as the neglect the public health institutions have suffered all these years that led to repeated industrial actions.
“We believe that the government still has time to genuinely address the issues at stake before Wednesday, 9th August, 2023, or leave us with no other option.”
The back and forth between the Federal Ministry of Health and resident doctors began few days ago when the doctors embarked on nationwide strike to demand improved salary package and other working conditions after the expiration of several ultimatums issued to government.
Few days into the strike, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), released a memo that indicated that the President, Bola Tinubu, had approved 25 per cent salary increase for the doctors to pacify them to call off the strike, while discussion continues on other issues.
The doctors, in response to the NSIWC memo, issued a statement rejecting the 25 per cent salary increase offered to them by the Federal Government, describing the offer as “paltry.”
They said the 25 per cent was far from what was requested by the doctors, hence they won’t consider calling off the ongoing nationwide strike.
The doctors said their earlier demand, which was for full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (COMESS) to its right value as at the time of the approval of the structure in 2009, stands.
On Thursday, the Federal Ministry of Health released a letter that indicated that it has activated the “no work, no pay” policy on striking resident doctors.
Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Andrew Noah, in the letter directed heads of hospitals to open and maintain an attendance register for all resident doctors willing to work.
Dr. Noah, in the letter informed that various conciliatory meetings by the Federal Ministries of Health, Labour and Employment, with Government stakeholders, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the National Assembly proved abortive in getting the doctors to call off the strike, hence the decision to activate the “no work no pay” policy as last option for the government.