By Zayamu Hassan
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the federal government to fix a reasonable amount as hazard allowance, urgent payment of salary shortfalls and minimum wage consequential adjustments arrears to its affected members.
NARD made the appeal in a communiqué issued at the end of its emergency National Executive meeting held virtually.
The group also called on the federal government to be more serious by coming up with the desired amount for hazard allowance for its members.
The communiqué further called on the federal government to enforce the abolishment of the bench fee as contained in the MOA signed in all training institutions.
“In line with this demand, and the undue exit of our members in LUTH, the CMD of LUTH should be called to order with immediate effect in order to maintain industrial harmony with NARD.”
“Our members on GIFMIS platform should be migrated to IPPIS so as to avoid further accumulation of unpaid salaries and to ease the process of their training.
“The processes for the approval of the 2021 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) should be completed and the funds released for the purpose it was meant before the end of July 2021,” it said.
The group, however, expressed regret over the situation of its members in some states, urging the Governors of Abia, Imo, Ondo, Kaduna and Ekiti to relieve their members from, “the beggarly posture they have been placed due to the prolonged salary arrears being owed them.
The communiqué added: “All state governments yet to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act 2017 (MRTA), should immediately do so in order to maintain industrial harmony with our members under their employ.
“The NEC demanded that all the State Governments yet to adopt the minimum wage-adjusted CONMESS 2019 should do so as a matter of urgency with the key state being Kaduna State Government who is using a different salary scale.”
The NARD also demanded the immediate payment of the COVID-19 inducement hazard allowance by the 36 states as done for their colleagues in federal institutions.
They emphasized that the COVID-19 hazard allowance was important it is not selective.
“The NEC demanded that all state governments running training institutions should ensure immediate accreditation of all unaccredited departments for appropriate Residency Training and service delivery.”
NARD therefore, called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), in collaboration with State Tertiary Health Institution Authorities, to initiate plans for central posting of House Officers to the states.
The resident doctors also reiterated their commitment to the smooth running of the health sector,
However, they said that it may not be able to guarantee continuous industrial harmony when its members are suffering, especially those employed by state governments.
