Despite reaching understanding and signing an agreement with the Federal Government, the resident doctors said their strike will continue until the National Executive Council (NEC) of their union decides otherwise.
The doctors, under the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) signed a Memorandum of Action (MOA) with the Federal Government to avert the planned nationwide strike which commenced on Thursday, April 1.
The agreement was signed midnight on Wednesday after a marathon meeting between the government side, led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and the leadership of NARD.
But the President of NARD, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, said the strike would continue despite the agreement signed by the two parties. He, however, added that the National Executive Council of the union would meet consider the agreement reached with the government.
The NARD president said the strike would go on until the NEC sits to take a decision on the outcome of the meeting with the Federal Government. The meeting was expected to be held on Thursday afternoon.
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The meeting between the Federal Government and NARD leadership lasted for over seven hours and the issues raised by the aggrieved doctors in their Notice of Trade Dispute, which include the non-payment of salaries of some house officers, non-recruitment of house officers, abolishment of the bench fees for doctors undergoing training in other hospitals, non-payment of National Minimum Wage and hazard allowances were deliberated on.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Ngige assured that all the things written and agreed on in the MOA will be implemented.
He said: “Twelve hours is a lot of time. Everybody will be working. Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) will be working. And hopefully, by tomorrow, you will experience the payment as agreed here for the second category of doctors (an overflow of the MDCN quota). We hope it must happen tomorrow and continue.
“So, by the time the chairman of the CMDs comes up with his final list and harmonise it with MDCN, we won’t have issue anymore over this payment or whether some doctors have not been paid.”
With regards to other issues raised by the doctors at the meeting, Ngige explained that timelines have been put on them, the reason why they were going to reconvene in one month’s time to look at the assignments given, to know who performed and who has not performed.
“And with this MOA, we hope you get to your members to let them understand better that government has moved proactively to address most of the issues ahead of your coming.”
With the position of NARD leadership, the doctors commenced the nationwide strike on Thursday morning, forcing people with patients in government hospitals to evacuate the patients to private hospitals.
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