The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to the Federal Government to swiftly address the points of contention with the striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), aiming to restore harmony in the industrial sector.
This plea was expressed through a press release issued by the NMA President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors initiated an indefinite strike on July 26, 2023, after the expiration of a two-week ultimatum they had presented to the Federal Government.
The doctors’ demands include the enforcement of the one-for-one replacement policy for healthcare personnel, the cessation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s downgrading of West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical Colleges’ membership certificates, immediate settlement of all salary arrears, adoption of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, revision of the hazard allowance, and the domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, among other requests.
The NMA, in its statement, emphasized that the ongoing labour dispute could have been avoided.
“As the overarching body representing all doctors in Nigeria, the Nigerian Medical Association is the parent organization to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors. Therefore, as a matter of policy, we must safeguard and promote our collective interests,” the statement expressed.
The association noted that the protracted nature of this avoidable labor conflict has negatively impacted the well-being of ordinary Nigerian citizens.
“We urge the government to swiftly address the points of contention and abstain from punitive reactions, with the aim of fostering harmony in the labor sector,” the statement elaborated.
Furthermore, the medical organization urged NARD to extend an act of goodwill towards the government, keeping in mind the welfare of Nigerian patients and citizens.
“NMA also appeals to NARD to extend a gesture of goodwill to the government for the sake of our suffering patients and fellow countrymen. Let’s put aside any barriers, whether real or fabricated, to facilitate the rapid resolution of this dispute for the betterment of our nation. A brighter future for Nigeria is an attainable reality if we collectively prioritize the interests of the nation,” the statement concluded.
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