After about 13 hours, the meeting between the Federal Government and strike-threatening Nigerian of Resident Doctors, NARD, has ended with a Memorandum of Action reached to reconvene in one month.
In his closing comments, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the government has successfully arrested a planned industrial action by the NARD billed to begin today April 1, 2021.
The Minister said by the understanding reached the NARD is expected to collect copies of the signed MOU later on Thursday since the meeting lasted until the early hours and immediately meet with its members to step down the industrial action.
Ngige noted that before the meeting started on Wednesday, March 31, the Federal Government had already begun meeting some of the demands of the doctors.
He said part of the understanding reached the meeting was a mandate to the medical and dental Council to compile all names of House officers being owed, liaise with the Nigeria medical association and ministry of health to ensure their accounts are credited before the Easter break.
The closing comments by the NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi made it unsure if today’s strike will be stepped down, as he only thanked parties present and noted the Memorandum of action reached.
Efforts to force words out from NARD officials proved difficult.
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The National Association of Resident Doctors is accusing the Federal Government of reneging in agreements to pay between three and five months salaries of House officers and recruitment of more house officers.
Others include non-payment of national minimum wage, abolishment of the bench fees, and refusal to increase hazard allowance.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Abdullahi Mashi, who represented his two ministers had at the opening of the meeting said all issues raised are being attended to, but sued for more patience and understanding from the doctors while appealing to other health workers not to take advantage of the situation.
Mashi stressed that the country’s health sector is already overwhelmed following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
