NARD wrongly paid N308m as salaries for 4 months – Reps

By Tom Okpe

Chairman, House Committee on Health Care Services of the nation’s House of Representatives, Dr Tanko Sununu has disclosed that National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) were wrongly paid salaries amounting to N308 million in the past four months.

Sununu revealed on Friday, while addressing journalists after the Committee held a closed door meeting with the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi and other relevant stakeholders on issues bordering on the ongoing strike by resident doctors.

The committee had summoned the MDCN registrar to answer queries on discrepancies in the payment of house officers, where some where paid up to three times while others received nothing, among other issues.

He also declared that the committee would henceforth, forensically audit all the activities of the MDCN in the last five years.

He said: “We resolved that the account number be forwarded to the President of the Resident Doctors for onward transmission to the members so that the money can be paid back to government account.

“We also agreed that because 1003 members of the association were not paid, the amount to be returned by over 500 members must be paid directly to the members who are yet to be paid.

“The 446 members of the association who have not been paid, the National Post Graduate College should make a memo so that payment can be made.

“We also agreed that overall, budget for the medical residency training should be taken over by the assigned body which is the National Post Graduate Medical College mandated by law to oversee the training of the resident doctors. They should be responsible for making the budget presentation on behalf of the resident doctors so that they can be paid accordingly.”

The Chairman said there was no agreement on the issue of Resident Doctors under GIFMIS since there is a Ministerial committee assigned by the Ministry of Finance on that.

“We all agreed that the Ministry of Health has been supportive of the review of hazard allowance of all health workers in Nigeria. We have agreed that a memorandum will be signed today after their meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“We also agreed that the review of hazard allowance should be done with immediate effect for all healthcare workers in the country. N5,000 remains quite unacceptable, but we have not agreed on any figure because it’s the Ministry of Labour that already initiated that discussion.

“We are calling on the resident doctors to please consider Nigerians and note that all their grievances are being addressed. They should consider the plight of the common man who has nowhere to go because not every one of us can attend private hospitals.”

Mean while, three Committees were formed to resolve the issues agreed upon by the House Committee.

“One of the committees is to sort the issue of house officers and they are to commence work with immediate effect and submit the authenticated list to the IPPIS office within 24 hours so that payment of those who have been omitted would be done with immediate effect.

“The other committee is to be headed by a Director in the Ministry of Labour with membership from Ministry of Health, NARD, IPPIS and Committee of CMDs to look at all the infractions that were noticed involving multiple payment and other issues to also suggest punitive measures meted on those who have acted wrongly.

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“That would also, commence work immediately and submit report to the Federal Ministry of Health with copy to the House Committee for necessary action.

“The third committee is expected to handle the many Doctors that have registered without getting their licenses. This committee would be responsible for the forensic audit of MDCN.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Abdullahi said they were in alignment with the decisions taken by the House Committee.

“As we leave here we are also going for another meeting with the Ministry of Labour, and the essence of that meeting is to have a robust look at issue of hazard allowance.

“Hazard allowance as it is now is a flat rate of N5000 which in the present day reality, we know is quite inadequate,” he said.

Earlier, President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, had complained that Dental House officers were mostly affected because while most of them did not receive their salaries, some of their medical counterparts received payment even up to three times.

Chairman of the CMDs Committee, Dr Jaff Momoh, said the reconciliation of the list of those to be paid with CMDs before forwarding to IPPIS should be able to eliminate such problems.

He said any Doctor paid more than his or her due should be held responsible.

“The MDCN is responsible for registering and re-registering Doctors every year. There are also instances of house officers who have completed or almost completed housemanship in other hospitals and went to enroll in another hospital.

“Our major concern now is that there are a number of house officers not paid, which we understand are being paid. But the double payment, I think, there is a way to retrieve that money and it should be retrieved by the agency that is responsible for central placement and recommendation for payment,” he said.