The National Association of Resident Doctors, Tuesday, commenced an indefinite strike across Nigeria. The President of the association, Jubril Abdullahi, said his members were forced to take the decision as a result of the federal government’s refusal to meet their demands.
The medical group had two weeks ago issued a two weeks ultimatum and threatened to embark on the indefinite industrial action should the Federal Government fail to pay the accumulated salaries of its members within two weeks. The doctors also complained of the refusal of the government to implement an agreement with the union on the Integrated Payroll Payment System, IPPS. Consequently, it had warned that it would not rescind the decision on the strike.
Some teaching hospitals such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, owes its resident doctors more than four months salaries. The LUTH chapter of the group had only suspended an industrial action about two weeks ago. Besides the IPPS, the doctors also complained of poor funding of residency training of its members by the FG. This is not the first time the group is embarking on strike this year. On June 26, the doctors had done same and suspended it on the 28th when top government officials intervened. The doctors said nothing has been done by the government to meet their demands since then. “It’s two months away for the year to end, it’s quite unfair. There can’t be good medical specialization without residency training.
The government should live up to her responsibilities” immediate past president of the association, Ismail Lawal told Premium Times “The Federal Government is playing game with the issue of budgetary allocation for the training of specialists. Though we had some deliberations, but up till now nothing has been done. To make the matter worse, the government refused to issue a White Paper on the agreement reached” Mr. Abdullahi had said two weeks ago.
Culled From:Premium Times
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