The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced an indefinite nationwide strike.
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Dr Aliyu Sokomba, NARD President, disclosed this at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, on Monday.
Sokomba said the decision was reached at the virtual extra-ordinary National Executive Council meeting of the association held on Sunday.
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The doctors had in a communique issued last Monday stated that they will proceed on an indefinite strike over what they described as lack of neglect to their various requests by the Federal Government.
The NARD President explained that the union took the decision to go on strike after the Federal Government failed to meet their demands during the two-week ultimatum given.
According to him, the meetings between the association and the Federal Government have failed to resolve the lingering industrial disputes which include the non-payment of special allowances for the resident doctors.
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He, however, stated that the union has decided to exempt its members working in various coronavirus (COVID-19) isolation and treatment centres across the country.
He noted that the exemption for its members attending to COVID-19 patients was for two weeks before they join the industrial action.
The association asked the government to make alternative arrangements for the care of patients, including those at the COVID-19 isolation centres as its members there would join the industrial action in two weeks’ time.
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The association’s demands to the government include the provision of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for all healthcare workers and immediate reversal of the disengagement of all 26 resident doctors at the University Teaching Hospital in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Others are the universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all Federal and State Hospitals and ensuring pay parity among doctors of equal cadre.
The doctors also asked the government to implement the revised hazard and payment of agreed COVID-19 inducement allowances, as well as stop and immediately refund all cuts in salaries of their colleagues in Kaduna and other states.
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