Monday, 2 August 2021, has been set as the date for strike action by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) – a strike action that will be observed nationwide.
This was disclosed by the association on Saturday following the conclusion of the body’s executive meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), in Abia State.
According to the union’s President, Dr. Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, the planned strike would be indefinite, as the Federal Government was yet to effect the payments of salaries to house officers.
He said, “We are embarking on a total and indefinite strike on August 2, 2021. You can recall we had a memorandum of action on March 31, 2021, and had an addendum to it on April 9, and since then, we still have had irregularities in the payment of salaries to the house officers.
“We had issues with them being non-regular payment and as part of the memorandum of action, it was said that they should be captured back into the IPPS platform.
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“You are aware that we lost 19 members to COVID-19 and death in service insurance was supposed to be paid to their next of kin.
“The last time we met the minister of labour and minister of health, we were told that our members are part of those to be given the insurance benefit, but we found out that their names are not even their.”
The union had, in April, conducted a strike action that lasted 10 days after consultation with members.
Issues revolving around the payment of salaries to house officers and the increase in the hazard allowances of doctors remain priority issues yet to be resolved as promised by the Federal Government.
Among its resolutions at its NEC meeting in Abia State, NARD noted that its members remained committed to their duties as healthcare service providers, however, they can only “do so when our welfare is given the desired attention.”
