*Resident doctors declare 5-day warning strike from tomorrow
*Say decision reached after over 6hours extraordinary NEC meeting
*That strike will be total involving emergency and clinical operations
*Regret FG remains adamant after earlier ultimatum which ended May 13
By Our Correspondent with Agency Report
Amidst preparations for the exchange of leadership between the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD said it will begin a five-day warning strike beginning from Wednesday May 17.
The decision of the doctors to embark on the warning strike according to their President, Dr. Emeka Orji is to protest the failure of the Federal Government to meet their demands.
He said the strike will commence by 8 am on Wednesday May 17 and will end on Monday, May 22 at 8 am.
“This was the decision reached after its six and half hours extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held virtually on Monday May 15”, he was quoted to have said.
It would be recalled that NARD had on April 29, 2023, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face industrial disharmony which ended on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
The doctors are demanding an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salaries of doctors.
They also want the immediate withdrawal of the bill seeking to compel medical and dental graduates to render five-year compulsory services in Nigeria before being granted full licence to practise.
Also being demanded by the doctors is the immediate implementation of CONMESS, domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, and review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as private tertiary health institutions where any form of residency training is done; among others.
According to doctors the strike will be total, involving both emergency and clinical operations in the hospitals.
“It is worrisome that despite the ultimatum issued to the federal government which ended on May 13, the government die not negotiate with the doctors regarding their demands”, a senior member of the Association lamented.
