The Digest:
As the indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) enters its fifth day, the core issues remain a list of unmet promises, from unpaid allowances to systemic decay, pushing the nation's healthcare to the brink.
Key Points:
- Review of excessive and unregulated work hours to protect doctor and patient safety.
- Payment of unpaid 25%/35% upward review arrears of the CONMESS salary structure.
- Immediate reinstatement of five doctors unjustly terminated in Lokoja with full back pay.
- Payment of outstanding promotion arrears for medical officers across federal hospitals.
- Release of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance, contrary to government assurances.
- Clearing bureaucratic delays in rank upgrades and salary adjustments post-exams.
- Payment of denied specialist and professional allowances for clinical care provided.
- Inclusion of House Officers in the civil service scheme for benefits and timely pay.
- Correcting wrongful entry-level placements that reduce new doctors' salaries.
- Progress on the stalled Collective Bargaining Agreement has been unresolved for 16 years.
- Release of corrected professional allowances has caused salary shortfalls for over 7 years.
- Regularisation of all locum staff facing long-term contracts without job security.
- Halt to the downgrading of West African College certificates by the MDCN.
- Issuance of membership certificates to graduates by the National Postgraduate College.
- Granting hospital CEOs autonomy for immediate one-for-one staff replacement.
- Tackling the brain drain driven by poor remuneration and working conditions.
- Urgent upgrade of infrastructure and medical equipment in all healthcare facilities.
- Halting the creation of non-medical consultant cadres is deemed detrimental to care.
- Implementation of agreed special pension benefits from the July 2025 MoU.
Sources: Daily Trust, NARD
