The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it is not prepared to call off its nationwide strike, which commenced yesterday, until its demands are met by government.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ExpressDay, the Chairman of NARD, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, insisted that his association was not asking for too much from the government.
According to him: “Our strike has since commenced Monday and we are monitoring compliance. It is indefinite. Until the government responds to our demand, there is no going back.
“We are not asking for much from the government. We have reduced all our demands to asking only for insurance for our members to be able to carry out their duties. Most of our demands are around having a favourable environment to carry out our duties.”
ExpressDay recalls that last June, the resident doctors, after a warning strike, put forward their demands to include the provision of adequate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for all healthcare workers and immediate reversal of the sacking of 26 resident doctors at the University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State.
They also demanded the implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all the federal and state hospitals, while also urging the government to ensure pay parity among doctors of equal cadre.
The doctors also asked the government to implement the revised hazard allowances and payment of Covid-19 inducement allowances, while they urged government to stop all the deductions in salaries of their colleagues in Kaduna and other States, as well as the refund of such deductions as applicable.
Findings from our correspondent in Abuja revealed that there was considerable compliance with the strike by the resident doctors as most of the hospitals are not working optimally.
Senior doctors were seen doing most of the work in the government-owned health facilities.
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