By Kingsley Samuel
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, has said months of sustained engagement with the Federal Government have failed to produce tangible results, warning that its members may embark on a nationwide strike if outstanding issues are not resolved by August 10.
President of the association, Dr. Mohamed Suleiman, stated this during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, saying the union had demonstrated patience by repeatedly postponing planned industrial action to allow government honour agreements reached with doctors.
According to him, since suspending the association’s strike on November 29, 2024, NARD had continued discussions with relevant government agencies and shifted its strike deadlines several times in the hope that the outstanding issues would be resolved.
“We were to resume the strike on January 12, but we shifted it. Again, on January 29, we shifted it. We also postponed action at the end of February and in April. At our Ordinary General Meeting in May, we gave another three-week ultimatum and later extended it by another four weeks. Unfortunately, we are still dealing with the same unresolved issues,” Suleiman said.
He stressed that the association was not concerned about government’s intentions but with concrete outcomes.
“The National Executive Council is only concerned about results. Whatever the intention is, the problems should be solved,” he added.
Suleiman identified the unresolved issues to include unpaid salaries for house officers, outstanding professional allowance arrears, promotion arrears, unpaid consequential adjustment arrears, welfare concerns and the prolonged delay in concluding the Collective Bargaining Agreement for health workers.
He disclosed that over 130 house officers were being owed salaries, with some reportedly working for up to nine months without receiving any pay.
“About 104 of them have salary arrears of between three and five months, while about 25 have worked for nine months without salaries. Even those who are paid often receive their salaries weeks after they are due. That is unacceptable,” he said.
The NARD president also raised concern over increasing attacks on healthcare workers, revealing that about 30 resident doctors and at least 20 other health workers had been assaulted across hospitals within the past year.
“It is becoming a real fear that you could be assaulted while attending to patients. Although some suspects have been arrested, only a few cases have been prosecuted,” he said.
He further criticised what he described as poor welfare conditions for doctors, citing the withdrawal of call meals for resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), despite the long hours they spend on emergency duties.
Suleiman warned that poor remuneration, delayed salaries and inadequate welfare were accelerating the migration of Nigerian doctors abroad and discouraging young doctors from enrolling in residency training programmes.
According to him, recruitment into residency programmes has continued to decline as many doctors seek better working conditions outside the country.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently implement existing agreements, conclude negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, ensure prompt payment of salaries and arrears, improve doctors’ welfare and prosecute those responsible for assaulting healthcare workers.
Suleiman expressed optimism that the issues could be resolved before the August 10 deadline if government showed the necessary political will.
“These are policy decisions that can be implemented. If government acts decisively, this strike can still be averted,” he said.
