UCH resident doctors set to join nationwide strike

Dr Olusegun Olaopa, the President, Association of Resident Doctors, University College Hospital, Ibadan chapter, on Wednesday said resident doctors in the hospital would commence an indefinite strike on September 4.
Olaopa, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan, said that the decision was in line with directive from the National Executive Council of the National Association of Resident Doctors.
He said that members of the association in UCH had been mobilised to commence the industrial action until the Federal Government accede to the demands of the national body.
Olaopa said that the national body of the association had in a statement directed all members to begin indefinite strike as from September 4.
He said: “The association has resolved to proceed on indefinite industrial action from Monday, September, 4, 2017, until all these issues are permanently resolved.
“So, in compliance with this directive, all resident doctors in UCH will join their counterparts in Nigeria to embark on an indefinite strike.”
Olaopa said that the strike notice was signed by Dr John Onyebueze and Dr Aneke Emmanuel, the National President and Secretary, National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria respectively.
According to him, neither the federal nor state governments has shown commitment to the resolution of issues at stake nor honoured the previous agreements with the doctors.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that among issues being agitated by NARD include persistent shortfalls and unpaid arrears of salaries in both federal and state tertiary health institutions.
Another issue raised was the enrollment of resident doctors into the integrated Personnel Payroll Information System since 2003.
The doctors are also complaining about the stagnation of promotion and non-promotion of members who have met the requisite criteria and non-implementation of adjusted House Officers’ Entry grade level equivalent since 2014.
NAN also reports that resident doctors in UCH had on January 6, 2017 embarked on a day protest rally over nonpayment of their November and December 2016 salaries.