Reasons why Resident Doctors are on Strike

Activities at most public hospitals were yesterday crippled as the strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) entered the second day.

Patients in some tertiary and secondary health facilities across the federation were abandoned as majority who were in need of urgent health care returned home without needed care.

Below is a mail I received from one of the resident doctors about why they are striking.

Good morning, Ijeoma.
I hope this meet you well.

As you know, healthcare delivery at the federal and state secondary and tertiary healthcare centers nationwide is paralyzed by yet another strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors.

These are The Reasons The National Association of Resident Doctors is on Strike…

NARD’s SIX(6) POINT DEMANDS

1. Pay our salary shortfalls spanning from December 2016 till date.
A worker is indeed deserving of his wages..
Some Resident Doctors & Honorary Consultants have been receiving a percentage/fraction of their salaries since November 2016 & NARD says this cannot continue.
NARD also says ‘all shortfall arrears should be paid’

2. Pay our House officers their full salaries.
Our House officers are being short-changed to the tune of about N10,000 monthly despite series of CBA’s reached on this issue since 2014.
NARD says that the Chairman NSIWC should immediately bring out a circular placing our House officers on the appropriate Grade Level so they can start earning their full salaries whilst computing their arrears.

3. Place members on their appropriate Grade Level & stop stagnation of promotion of our members.
Some members have not been placed on their appropriate Grade Level despite an MoU reached with the FG on December 16, 2013.
NARD says: place members on their appropriate Grade Level pending hearing by the Court of Appeal in March 2018 & members should be promoted & renumerated accordingly.

4. Capture our Members on the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System(IPPIS), the payment system for federal civil servants.
After removal from the IPPIS platform in 2013, we have been appealing that we are captured once again on the IPPIS platform, but OAGF has refused to do same till date.
NARD says: capture us on the IPPIS platform, this we feel would place us on our appropriate Grade Levels.

5.Remit both the Employer & Employees’ contributions of our Pension to our Retirement Savings Account.
Our Pensions have not been remitted to our PFA’s since 2013 despite deductions from some centres. Some other say we are on temporary appointment & not pensionable.
PENCOM had in a letter to the HMoH in 2015 written that we are employees & thus pensionable, but uptil date most members are not enjoying this.
NARD says that our members are pensionable, so budgetary allowance should be made for them & those that have been deducted should immediately be remitted to their PFA’s with counterpart funding from FG.

6. Pay us arrears of salaries being owed since 2014.
Members have been owed arrears of salaries since 2014 & FG has refused to pay despite all appeals, calculations & promises.
NARD says, our members should have their salary arrears owed paid immediately.

These are NARD’s demands in simple terms. It affects all doctors.
Let the FG do the needful as this has become an ugly recurring decimal.

A campaign of calumny against the Resident Doctors will not solve any of these cogent issues.

A promise will not cut it either. Only actions in line with sanity will.

Thanks.