The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors has said its nationwide strike scheduled to commence today (Monday) will go ahead because the Federal Government has yet to invite its leadership for a meeting.
NARD said the Nigerian Medical Association, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and others should support the struggle for upward review of its hazard allowance from the paltry sum of N5,000.
The National Publicity Secretary, Dr Stanley Egbogu, said that the government had not invited NARD for a meeting despite notifying them.
He said, “The Federal Government has not invited us to a meeting after we notified them that we will be proceeding on strike. We have directed all our members across the country both federal and state institutions to recommence the strike we suspended on June 22, 2020.
“We call on all other unions in the health sector, the NMA, PSN, NANNM to support this struggle for upward review of our hazard allowance from the paltry sum of N5,000.
“The truth is that the current hazard can’t be compared to the daily risks of hazard we face every day from the current coronavirus to the Hepatitis B and C viruses. The risks is just too much for N5,000.”
Recall that NARD had resolved to commence an indefinite strike with effect from Monday, September 7 2020.
The organisation was demanding payment of the medical residency training funding to all its members as approved in the revised 2020 budget and payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowances to all health workers, among others.
The Punch