Declare State Of Emergency In Health Sector, NARD Begs Tinubu

Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the President, Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency declare a state of emergency in the country’s health sector.

The doctors, who made the call in a communique issued at the Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the association, held in Ikeja, Lagos, said the era of paying lip service to the monster called “Brain Drain” should be over.

NARD insisted on a 200 percent salary increment while frowning at the slow implementation of the agreement reached with the government.

The association also condemned the casualisation of medical doctors in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu and some other hospitals.

The communique reads: “OGM observed with dismay, that some of our members in different Federal Tertiary Hospitals are yet to be paid the arrears of the hazard allowance.

“The OGM observed with shock the casualisation of medical doctors in UNTH, Enugu and some other hospitals. OGM condemned this in totality.

“The OGM observed and condemned the insistence of the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons to charge our members for examinations and other fees using parallel market exchange rates.

“The OGM also observed with pain, the downgrading of the membership certificate of the postgraduate colleges by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

“The OGM observed the nonpayment of promotion arrears since 2018 and the 13 months’ hazard arrears allowance owed our members by the Federal Capital Territory administration (FCT). OGM described this as terribly wrong and unacceptable.”