Resident doctors in Nigeria have said they will embark on an “indefinite strike” on Thursday over the government’s failure to meet its demands.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in a statement signed by its president, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, confirmed the development at the end of its extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday.
Mr Okhuaihesuyi said no significant achievement has been made since an ultimatum was given to the federal government and which expires on March 31, 2021.
“The NEC unanimously agreed that NARD should proceed on a total and indefinite strike on the 1st of April 2021, by 8 am if the demands are not met,” Mr Okhuaihesuyi said in the statement.
Some of the demands of the doctors are payment of all salaries arrears, review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance, especially in state-owned tertiary Institutions.
In Nigeria, resident doctors make up a large percentage of doctors in the country’s tertiary hospitals.
By Abel Ejikeme
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