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The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Nigeria has rejected a 25% salary increase offered by the government, stating that it does not fully meet their demands. The doctors are demanding a full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, as well as the payment of all salary arrears and other allowances. They also called for the release of a circular on the One-for-One policy to replace exited clinical workers. The strike, which has been ongoing, will continue until the government takes action to address their demands. NARD appealed to the government to resolve the issues to prevent further escalation.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the 25 percent salary increase offered by the government, indicating that the ongoing strike may not end soon. NARD’s National Executive Council (NEC) stated that the proposed salary increment and accoutrement allowance do not fully meet their demands. This decision was made during the NEC meeting held in Lagos, with the theme “Bullying in Medical Practice: a matter of Perspective?”
NARD officials at the NEC meeting tagged “LasGIDI 2023”
In their communique, NARD insisted on the full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to its original value in 2009, rather than a 25 percent increment. They described the government’s offer as “paltry” and stated that the strike would continue until their demands are addressed.
The communique listed several demands, including the payment of salary and promotion arrears, review of the hazard allowance, and adoption of the medical residency training act by neglected states such as Abia, Kaduna, and Enugu. NARD also rejected the casualization of doctors and called for the release of a detained trainer, Prof. Ekanem Philip-Ephraim.
NARD urged the government to address these demands and emphasized the importance of resolving the ongoing industrial disharmony in the health sector nationwide. They previously demanded the release of a circular on the One-for-One policy to replace exited clinical workers in hospitals.
