The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Sunday described as embarrassing and inhuman the failure of the governors of Abia, Imo, Ondo and Ekiti to pay salaries of resident doctors in their states, saying the outstanding salaries have accumulated to between three and 23 months.
The association also gave the Federal Government May 2022 ultimatum for the payment of the 2022 Medical Residency Training Fund.
NARD’s positions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting of its National Executive Council which was made available to The PUNCH on Sunday.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the association’s President, Dr. Dare Ishaya; its Secretary General, Dr Suleiman Abiodun; and the Publicity Secretary, Dr. Yusuf Alfa.
The association said it was concerned about the welfare of its members who are currently being owed.
The communiqué read, “The NEC noted that the Federal Government has paid the withheld August and September 2021 salaries to our members, and also paid 2021 Medical Residency Training Fund. The NEC however, noted that some members were yet to receive payment of their omitted 2020 MRTF.
“NEC members observed with concerns the conditions of our members under different state governments’ employ, especially Abia, Imo, Ondo, and Ekiti State Governments, who currently owe our members 23months, 10 months, six months, and three months’ salary arrears respectively.
“The NEC noted that the House of Representatives is planning a bill prohibiting health workers from going on strike to demand their rights. We maintain that the right to strike is a universal democratic right of all employees, regardless of where they are employed: private or public sector. Hence, this move is against the rights of workers to express their grievances with peaceful negotiation and as a last resort, embarking on industrial action.”
For its resolutions, the NEC stated, “We call on the Federal Government, the Nigerian Governors Forum, stakeholders, and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Governors of Abia (23 months), Imo (10 months), Ondo (six months), and Ekiti (three months) to urgently pay arrears of salaries and allowances owed our members in the state tertiary health institutions as stated above, as this is becoming inhuman and embarrassing.
“We urge the Federal Government to take steps towards curtailing medical brain drain. The Federal Government should look towards increasing the budgetary allocation of the health sector from the subsisting five per cent in the 2022 budget to a figure closer to 15 per cent as recommended at the 2001 Abuja Declaration for Health Financing in Africa.
“This will enable more employment in the sector, improve welfare and service conditions for health workers, and also an upgrade of health facilities and equipment in our institutions across the country.”
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