Doctors vow to continue strike despite FG’s threat

…Describe threat as empty, biggest joke of the century

Medical Doctors in the country under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have vowed to continue their indefinite strike action amid the coronavirus pandemic if the demands highlighted in their letter to the Federal Government are not given consideration.

The doctors emphasised that there is no going back unless the Federal Government pays the salaries, hazard allowances and other arrears.

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) president, Aliyu Sokomba, who was reacting to threats by the Federal Government to invoke the ‘no work no pay rule’ rule if the union continues with its strike, described the government’s threat as “empty and the biggest joke of the century.

Sokomba said that the doctors are not intimidated and will go on with the strike until all their demands are met.

He insisted that the resident doctors would not resume working, adding the government is not sincere with the health sector of the country.

He said: “Instead of them to address our demands, they are resorting to cheap blackmail that they will implement no work no pay and sack doctors. Is that not the joke of the century from a government that is not truthful? We are not moved’’.

The doctors said they downed tools over unpaid salaries, non-payment of hazard allowance, and a dearth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hospitals, among several other reasons.

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Shortly after a meeting between officials of the NARD and that of the government ended in disagreement on Tuesday, the Health minister, Osagie Ehanire, directed all medical directors in all public hospitals across the country to open a register by 7 a.m. from Wednesday and record ‘‘those who come to work and those who fail to come to work’’.

In a circular issued to all heads of clinical departments and resident doctors on Wednesday, the management of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital said it will apply appropriately, the ‘no work, no pay rule’ of the Federal Government.

However, the NARD leader also berated the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, for saying the Federal Government is paying the hazard allowances of the doctors, saying the claim is a spurious lie flying in the face of fact.

Sokomba said that the association issued a 14 days’ ultimatum to the government which expired about 18 days ago.

It would be recalled that the doctors had declared strike action over unpaid salaries, lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hospitals, and other entitlements, prompting the Federal Government to issue “no work no pay” threats on Tuesday, June 16.