The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it will embark on a
daily peaceful protests from Wednesday as part of measures to ensure its
demand are met.
The association gave the notice on Saturday in a letter addressed to the
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and made available to
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The letter which has ‘Notice of Nationwide Mass Protests and Picketing by NARD
was signed by its President, Dr Emeka Orji and Secretary-General, Dr Chikezie
Kelechi.
According to the doctors, it is the decision of the National Executive Council of
NARD to embark on such action.
“We wish to bring to your notice, of the decision of the National Executive
Council of NARD to embark on daily peaceful protests and picketing of FMOH,
Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
“Also, all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide, with effect
from Aug. 9 at 10.00 a.m.
“This has become necessary to press home our demands which have been
largely neglected by our parent ministry and the Federal Government.
“We are pained that rather than make genuine and concerted efforts to resolve
the challenges that led to the industrial action in spite of repeated ultimatums,
our parent ministry and the Federal Government have chosen to demonise
Nigerian resident doctors instead, after all their sacrifices and patriotism.
“We therefore resolved that it is time the whole world hears our side of the
story, the decay and corruption in the health sector as well as the neglect, the
public health institutions have suffered all these years that led to repeated
industrial actions,” it stated.
The association, however, said that it believed that the government still had
time to genuinely address the issues at stake before Aug. 9, or leave it with no
other option.
NAN reports that the resident doctors embarked on indefinite strike on July 26.
The major demands of the association are immediate payment of 2023 Medical
Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate release of the circular on one-for-
one replacement and payment of skipping arrears.

Others are the upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure
(CONMESS) in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS
and payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum wage to
the omitted doctors.
Also demanded is reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Other demands include the payment of (MRTF), new hazard allowance, skipping
and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions
and payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government had on Tuesday through a letter to all
concerned issued a ‘no work, no pay’ policy following the doctors’ on-going
strike.
The action is to serve as deterrent to other health workers.