By FOLASADE AKPAN

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has listed 19 demands which it described as minimum expectations required to avert a total and indefinite nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Saturday.

The President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a media conference while presenting the resolutions of NARD’s Extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

The meeting followed the expiration of its 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government.

He said the association had exercised patience for too long in the face of government’s inaction, warning that doctors have already begun ward rounds and patient handover ahead of the planned industrial action.

According to him, the outstanding payments and welfare issues affect not only resident doctors but all categories of health professionals, including administrative staff.

Suleiman said the government currently owes doctors and other health workers across the country an estimated N38 billion in accumulated allowances, some dating back more than 10 years.

He said, “There are allowances of over two years, some for 18 months, seven months, four months and even 10 years.

“There has also been a failure to review the basic salary of doctors in this country for 16 years.”

He noted that the association had suspended a five-day warning strike in September and extended its earlier ultimatum by 30 days to allow government address the demands, but the grace period had since elapsed without meaningful action.

“The Federal Government has failed to demonstrate the political will necessary to address the legitimate concerns of Nigerian resident doctors,” he said.

Suleiman explained that the 19-point demand presented by NARD represents the minimum action expected from government to prevent a total collapse of service delivery in the country’s public health system.

Among the demands, he said, are the immediate payment of outstanding 25–35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) arrears and 2024 accoutrement allowance to doctors, as well as other pending financial entitlements owed to health workers.

The NEC also demanded the immediate reinstatement of five resident doctors unjustly terminated from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, with full payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances for the period of their disengagement.

He said the association further called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and implement a humane “working-hours policy” for doctors in line with international best practices, to safeguard both physician’s well being and patient safety.

The NEC urged government to grant Chief Executives of hospitals greater autonomy to employ and replace doctors who exit the system through immediate implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, to reduce excessive workload and burnout.

It also demanded urgent upgrade and maintenance of infrastructure and medical equipment in all healthcare facilities nationwide to improve the quality of service delivery and training for resident doctors.

Suleiman said NARD demanded the immediate commencement of specialist allowance payments to all doctors, inclusion of medical and dental house officers in the civil service scheme with full entitlements, and correction of all entry-level placements of doctors.

He said the NEC also called for decentralisation of promotion processes, payment of arrears resulting from those corrections, and expedited conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement Committee’s work on the long-overdue review of CONMESS and other professional allowances.

“The NEC further demands the immediate release and implementation of corrected tables of professional allowances and clear enforcement of relativity between CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures,” he added.

Other issues highlighted include the payment of accrued promotion arrears owed to medical officers, reversal of the practice of creating consultant cadres for non-medical personnel, and the abolition of casualisation of doctors, insisting that all locum staff must be regularised in accordance with public service rules.

Suleiman also noted that the association is demanding uniform implementation of all CONMESS circulars across federal, state, and private health institutions, and the immediate clearance of outstanding salary arrears owed to doctors in several centres.

He said NARD was also insisting on the immediate implementation of special pension benefits as earlier agreed between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

Following the failure of government to meet these demands, Suleiman said, “NARD hereby declares a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike commencing at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday.

“All resident doctors in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide are directed to withdraw their services completely and indefinitely until the Federal Government and affected state governments demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing our demands,” he added.

The NARD President appealed to President Bola Tinubu to personally intervene to prevent the strike and address the lingering issues affecting doctors and the health sector.

“I hope you will listen to this passionate appeal and use your goodwill. You are the father of the nation. Come into this matter, weigh in it, and solve it for us,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over the years, NARD had embarked on several industrial actions to press home demands related to welfare, improved remuneration, and better working conditions.

Such industrial actions have often paralysed services in public hospitals across the country, leaving patients stranded and disrupting healthcare delivery. (NAN)