Resident doctors issue FG ultimatum, threaten fresh strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors on Saturday issued the Federal Government three weeks ultimatum to address its demands or its members would resume their suspended strike on Monday, August 17.

The President of NARD, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, announced this in Abuja on Saturday at a news conference.

Solacebase reports that the NARD President read the communique issued after its virtual National Executive Council meeting and scientific conference held at the Gombe International Hotel between July 20 and 25 2020.

According to him, “NEC resolved to extend the suspension of our strike action by three weeks to give the government time to address our demands, failure of which will leave us with no choice other than to resume the suspended strike on Monday, August 17 2020.”

He said the body is demanding the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance to members which, it said, was long overdue, NARD called on government and the National Assembly to probe the non-enrolment of healthcare workers for the Group Life Insurance and non-payment of death-in-service benefit to the next-of-kin of its fallen heroes, despite claims of payment to insurance companies.

Dr Aliyu Sokomba said other reasons for the strike were non-provision of medical residency training funding; salary shortfall for 2014-2016; disengagement of resident doctors at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and challenges of its members in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho.

Read Also: UPDATED: Resident Doctors suspend nationwide indefinite strike(Opens in a new browser tab)

Solacebase recalled that NARD had embarked on industrial action on June 15, 2020, following its Emergency General Meeting to protest against the lack of payment for COVID-19 inducement allowance for frontline healthcare workers but suspended the strike on  June 21, after its NEC meeting attended by over 300 members.