Resident doctors to embark on 3-day warning strike June 2

The National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) has threatened to begin a three-day warning strike from June 2, if the Federal Government fails to resolve issues affecting its members.
The National President, Dr Jibril Abdullahi, who disclosed this at a news conference recently in Abuja, said that some of the main issues were residency training and re-integration of its members into the Intergrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).
Dr. Abdullahi further added that others include payment of three months’ salary arrears owed doctors in Federal Medical Centre Owerri, failure to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and eroding of the recent relativity restored by the latter after a distortion of over 20 years.

He said: “The ordinary meeting of NARD resolved that the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health should as a matter of urgency take all necessary steps towards formalising the report of the inter-agency committee on residency training.
“That concrete measures must be put in place for the reintegration of our members back into the IPPIS platform.
“Sequel to the above NARD is hereby giving the government of Nigeria a grace
period of up to the end of June 2014 to resolve these issues; otherwise, we will have no option but to withdraw our services from the July 1.

“In furtherance to this, our members agreed to commence withdrawal of services
for just three days starting from June 2, 2014 until June 4, 2014.”
He however added that NARD would withdraw services immediately, if the Government adjusted the Consolidated Health Salary Structure without commensurate adjustment of the CONMESS.
He said: “NARD will commence an immediate and indefinite withdrawal of services should the government erode the relativity restored in the circular of Jan. 3, 2014.’’
He however, said that it was not the desire of the association to go on
strike, adding that services would not be shut down completely.