•Doctors protest
The strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) entered its 17th day today.
Findings by our correspondent showed that many health facilities where resident doctors provide essential services were largely deserted yesterday, reports Daily Trust.
In a post on X at the weekend, NARD called on the federal government to immediately conclude a long-delayed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
It also demanded a review of the outdated Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
The union said: “Dear Nigerians, Doctors Deserve a Fair Deal! For long we have waited for a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a simple, written promise that ensures fairness, clear work terms, and proper pay. However, the government continues to delay, while doctors face rising costs and eroding morale.
“We demand the immediate conclusion of the CBA and review of the outdated CONMESS salary structure.”
In a message to our correspondent yesterday evening, NARD President Dr. Muhammad Suleiman stated that the union had not signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government, as agreements had yet to be reached.
“We are yet to sign the MOU. Agreements are yet to be reached,” he said.
Medical services remain paralysed in at least 91 healthcare facilities.
Patients have been left stranded in several hospitals as the 11,500 resident doctors who make up a significant portion of the country’s 56,000 registered medical practitioners remain on strike.
NARD said the union’s 19-point demand list is reasonable and necessary for the welfare of doctors and patients.
Among the key issues raised by NARD are unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, inadequate staffing, excessive workload, and the lack of essential medical infrastructure, which the doctors say have crippled healthcare delivery nationwide.
President Bola Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to immediately resolve the strike, noting that the government is addressing the doctors’ demands.
“President Tinubu has expressly directed that we do everything possible and legitimate to ensure that the resident doctors return to their duty posts as soon as possible,” Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, told reporters two days after the strike commenced.
