Resident Doctors Begin Nationwide Strike Monday

The president of NARDs, Dr Olusegun Olaopa of University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, who disclosed this in a statement he issued yesterday, said the resident doctors have decided to commence an indefinite industrial action on Monday to press home their demands.

The statement noted: “Neither the Federal nor State governments has shown commitment to the resolution of issues at stake nor honoured previous agreements. Consequent upon this, the association resolved to proceed on a total indefinite industrial action from Monday, September 4, 2017, until all these issues are permanently resolved.

“Nationwide pre-strike protests against this injustice are to hold in all our branches and states of the federation on August 30, 2017. All heads of tertiary health institutions who have received funding for payments to our members should be directed to pay same immediately.”

NARDs members are demanding for the resolution of persistent shortfalls and unpaid arrears of salaries earned in both federal and state tertiary health institutions.

Other issues are the enrolment of resident doctors into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) since 2003 and non-implementation of adjusted House Officers’ Entry grade level equivalent since 2014.