The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the federal and state governments to address the issues of welfare, employment status and labour casualisation affecting medical workers within four months.
NARD also expressed dismay that infrastructure decay and negligence of workers by the federal and some states governments have combined to put the health sector in precarious situation, thereby rendering it incapable of discharging vital responsibility of securing human lives.
According to association, these awful disposition to core issues of welfare and emoluments have led to the flight of some professionals to seek greener pastures abroad.
These were parts of the major issues that dominated the week-long 2025 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the medical body which ended at the weekend in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
In a communique signed by its President General, Dr. Osundare Tope; General Secretary, Dr. Odunbaku Oluwasola and Public and Social Secretary, Dr. Amaobi Omoha, the NARD demanded the matters to be addressed within four months.
NARD also listed the grievance areas to include non-payment of the arrears of the 25/35 percent upwardly revised CONMESS, and other salary arrears and non-payment of special allowance.
Among other demands by the resident doctors include full implementation of consequential adjustments to the
2019 and 2024 minimum wage on basic salaries and allowances, along with accrued arrears.
The doctors also urged the federal government to expedite the payment of the 2025 MRTF and called on all chief medical directors, medical directors and the federal government to complete payments of the 2023/2024 accoutrement allowance arrears.
“The OGM strongly condemns the continued and persistent casualisation and the consequent poor remuneration of doctors by the chief executives of tertiary hospitals.
“The OGM expresses displeasure over the delay in addressing welfare issues in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), including the non-payment of outstanding March 2024 salaries, the 7–14 months of arrears still owed to Residents and Medical Officers, etc,” the communique reads in part.
The resident doctors insisted that only immediate implementation of these demands would guarantee industrial harmony and total commitment to health care services, failure which they threatened to meet for the purpose of appraising and reconsidering next line of action.
However, the NARD commended President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and governors of Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ebony, Benue, Kwara, Delta, Enugu, as well as others for their commitment to health sector including welfare of medical workers.
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