The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve all outstanding welfare and professional issues affecting its members.
The association warned that failure to meet its demands within the stipulated period would leave it with no option than to embark on industrial action.
National President of NARD, Dr. Emmanuel Ogar, disclosed this during the association’s meeting held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
According to him, resident doctors are deeply worried over the Federal Government’s delay in implementing several agreements earlier reached after prolonged negotiations.
Dr. Ogar lamented that despite assurances from government, many critical issues affecting resident doctors have remained unresolved, causing growing discontent among members across the country.
He said members are battling poor remuneration, unpaid allowances, and unfavourable working conditions, which have continued to affect morale and productivity in public hospitals.
Among the key demands of the association is the prompt payment of all outstanding salary arrears, upgraded hazard allowances, and other entitlements owed to resident doctors in federal and state-owned teaching hospitals.
NARD is also pressing for the speedy conclusion of the review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, and other related allowances.
The association argued that the present salary structure is outdated and does not reflect the current economic realities, inflationary pressures and high cost of living in the country.
It maintained that the take-home pay of doctors in Nigeria is among the lowest compared to their counterparts in other countries, a situation fueling the mass exodus of medical professionals.
NARD expressed alarm over the increasing rate at which doctors and other health workers are leaving Nigeria for greener pastures abroad, warning that the trend is crippling the health sector.
It said the continuous brain drain has led to severe manpower deficit, with the few doctors left in the system overwhelmed by excessive workload.
The President noted that in many tertiary health institutions, a handful of resident doctors are now doing the job of four or five persons, leading to extreme fatigue, medical errors and declining quality of care.
He added that beyond welfare, resident doctors are also grappling with inadequate medical equipment, poor infrastructure, stalled promotions, and poor funding for residency training programmes.
Dr. Ogar said government had made commitments during past engagements to address these challenges, but implementation has been slow and in some cases abandoned.
He stressed that the 14-day notice is a gesture of goodwill to allow government to act, noting that NARD is not eager to shut down health services but will not hesitate to do so if pushed.
The association called on the Federal Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, Labour and Employment, and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to urgently address the issues before the deadline lapses.
NARD also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to personally intervene and ensure that commitments made to doctors are honoured in order to avert a crisis in the health sector.
The ultimatum has sparked concern among stakeholders in the health sector, who have urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to prevent disruption of services in teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.
Some patients and relatives at public hospitals in Calabar and other cities said they are worried that another strike by resident doctors would worsen their plight, as many cannot afford private healthcare.
They called on the government to give priority to the health sector and to improve doctors’ welfare to discourage further migration.
As of press time, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had not issued an official statement on the ultimatum, but insiders said moves are being made to engage NARD leadership in fresh talks to prevent a total shutdown of services.
