The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called for a “total and indefinite strike.”
The association revealed this in a terse statement made available to journalists on Tuesday evening.
The demands of the resident doctors included quick payment of the 2023 MRTF, prompt release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, and payment of skipping arrears.
The list also mentioned the upward review of CONMESS in accordance with complete salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS, the payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, and the reversal of MDCN’s downgrading of the membership certificate.
Other demands are the payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions, and the payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
The strike comes after the association on July 5 issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government for the implementation of all its demands.
In an attempt to avert the strike, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday, held deliberations with the leadership of NARD behind closed doors.
Following the private talks, Abbas promised to meet with President Bola Tinubu to avert the industrial action of the resident doctors and announced the setup of an ad hoc committee to meet with all the stakeholders and address the matter.
The Speaker also appealed to NARD to give the house leadership a two-week period to find solutions to the issues raised.