…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has put forward a series of demands, including a 200 percent salary increase for its members and additional incentives.
NARD also called for President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the health sector to address the issue of brain drain and the growing trend of doctors seeking better opportunities abroad.
In a statement by NARD’s President, Dr. Emeka Orji, they emphasized the need for the Tinubu government to approve their demands, as outlined in a letter sent to the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health on July 7, 2022.
However, NARD acknowledged that they would give the government some additional time to meet their demands.
Concerns Over Fuel Subsidy Removal and Rising Cost of Living
The medical doctors expressed their dissatisfaction with the federal government’s decision to abruptly remove fuel subsidy, which subsequently led to an increase in the overall cost of living and inflation rate.
They highlighted this concern in a statement issued after their union’s ordinary general meeting in Lagos.
NARD emphasized the need for urgent action from President Tinubu, calling for a state of emergency in the Nigerian health sector to address the issue of brain drain effectively.
Calls for Government Action and Panel Review
NARD urged the government to establish a high-powered panel to review and harmonize the reports from the former President Obasanjo Health Agenda for Nigeria Committee and the former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led Health Sector Reform Committee.
They believed that such a review would lead to the development of an action plan for the health sector in the Tinubu-led administration.
NARD insisted on their demand for a minimum 200 percent increment in the CONMESS salary structure and associated allowances, as outlined in their previous letter to the government dated July 7, 2022.
expressed their willingness to grant the new government sufficient time to promptly address this issue, which they considered to be a major cause of the current brain drain within the sector.
Calls to State Governments and Medical Institutions
NARD also made specific demands to the governments of Kwara, Ogun, Rivers, Abia, Oyo states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) regarding the state of the health sector in their respective domains.
They urged Governors Adedapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Alex Otti of Abia State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to take immediate action in addressing the situation within the health sector.
They emphasized that failure to address these concerns could disrupt industrial peace in their respective states.
Additional Requests and Concerns
NARD called on the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the Lagos State Governor to discontinue the demand for bench fees, citing a contradiction with the decision of the National Council on Establishment, which abolished such fees.
They also appealed to the West African Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians to cease the practice of charging their members using parallel market exchange rates.
Furthermore, NARD urged the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to halt the downgrading of membership certificates, emphasizing that this practice contradicts the standards observed in sister African countries that share the same certificate.