The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government, effective from 1 October 2024, to begin implementing outstanding agreements on their welfare and working conditions. The ultimatum was issued at the end of the association's 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Calabar, Cross River State, which was held from 21 to 26 September. The meeting was attended by resident doctors from across the country.
The resident doctors are demanding the immediate payment of 19 months of outstanding Professional Allowance Table (PAT) arrears and outstanding arrears arising from the 25/35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors and other affected health workers. They also want the immediate correction of omissions and errors in the payment of the 2024 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). The association claims that several medical doctors are still owed salary and promotion arrears in various federal health institutions.
The resident doctors are also calling for an upward review of the MRTF to reflect the current cost of residency training, which should be captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act. They want the federal government to accelerate the conclusion of the long-running Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Nigerian Medical Association and the federal government. The association claims that the unresolved review of the CONMESS salary structure has remained outstanding for about 17 years and is contributing to the brain drain affecting the health sector.
The association is demanding a sustainable recruitment system to address the critical manpower shortages occasioned by brain drain and guarantee safe and effective healthcare delivery. They also want the implementation of the approved work-hour regulation policy, including functional biometric systems to document working hours and a standardised system for compensating doctors for excess workload. The doctors are also calling for the implementation of the Assault on Health Workers Prevention Policy across all health institutions with clear accountability mechanisms.
The resident doctors are also demanding urgent improvements in healthcare infrastructure, equipment, and essential medical facilities across the country. They claim that poor infrastructure and inadequate equipment are affecting patient safety, healthcare delivery, and the training of resident doctors. The association wants the federal government to pay outstanding pension contributions and implement the agreed-upon welfare and working conditions.
The NARD National Executive Council (NEC) has been mandated to closely monitor the government's response over the next two weeks. If the authorities fail to demonstrate meaningful compliance within the stipulated period, the association has vowed to take all necessary lawful and constitutionally sanctioned actions, including further industrial action. This is not the first time resident doctors have issued an ultimatum to the federal government.
The resident doctors' latest ultimatum gives the federal government until 1 October to commence demonstrable implementation of the resolutions contained in the communique. Failure to do so may lead to another industrial action by the resident doctors. Key issues at stake include the payment of outstanding allowances and salaries, improvements in healthcare infrastructure, and addressing brain drain in the health sector.
Key points
- Resident doctors in Nigeria have given the federal government a 14-day ultimatum to implement outstanding agreements on their welfare and working conditions.
- The ultimatum, effective from 1 October, demands the payment of outstanding allowances and salaries, improvements in healthcare infrastructure, and addressing brain drain in the health sector.
- Failure to comply may lead to further industrial action by the resident doctors.
