The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement all pending agreements.
This ultimatum was made during a three-day extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
NARD has demanded a 15% annual budget allocation to the health sector (up from the current 5.7%) to address infrastructure decay, staff recruitment, and other concerns. In addition, the organization has called for an immediate revision of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) to include a 200% increase in doctors’ current gross salary.
NARD has also demanded the withdrawal of a bill on the alleged enslavement of young doctors by a House of Representatives member, the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and payment of salary arrears dating back to 2014.
According to the statement released by NARD, if the government fails to meet these demands by May 13, 2023, it may lead to industrial disharmony in the healthcare sector nationwide.
