Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige PHOTO:Twitter
There is no moral justification for National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to continue its strike after the Federal Government has met substantial part of their demands, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige has said.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja on the seven-day old industrial action, Ngige said not only that the Federal Government met the demands of the doctors, it has also demonstrated transparency in the implementation process.
“The house officers have started receiving their payments in the Federal Government teaching hospitals and federal medical centres across the federation.
As the rest of the world grapples with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Nigeria, hundreds of patients have been left unattended as doctors say there is no going back until their needs are met.
An indefinite strike by doctors since last Thursday has paralyzed medical services at public hospitals in Nigeria leaving hundreds of patients stranded.
Some of the patients say the government should do what is necessary so that the doctors can resume work fully.
“I advise the government to be serious with the doctors. I am here and I see how it is, it is not easy. Government should take the lives of its people very seriously,” said Nehemiah Josua, Patient.
Resident doctors strike: FG says house officers paid by end of Wednesday tribuneonlineng.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tribuneonlineng.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has lost all moral and legal grounds to continue its seven-day-old strike, and urged them to call off the action.
In a statement in Abuja yesterday, Ngige said the federal government has not only “substantially met the seven-point demand by NARD, it has also demonstrated transparency in their implementation.”
But in a swift response, NARD has faulted Ngige’s position, saying that house officers’ payments across the nation were flawed with irregularities.
But Ngige noted: “The House officers have started receiving their payments in the federal government teaching hospitals and federal medical centres across the federation. I spoke with the Accountant General of the Federation as well as with two Chief medical directors of teaching hospitals this morning and they confirmed payment to house officers.
a luta continua; vitória é certa“, which means, “the struggle continues; victory is certain”.
So, what is the bone of contention?
The communique issued after their meeting listed all the ten demands that prompted the strike and reappraised the federal government’s response for each of them.
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TheCable has contacted the federal ministry of health to confirm the doctors’ claims.
Here is the full list of the demands as shared in the communique issued by Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, NARD president (pictured above):
1. Immediate Payment of all salaries owed to all house officers including march salaries (regardless of quota system) before the end of business on the 31st of March 2021.