The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the university of medical sciences teaching hospital, Ondo, Ondo state, has commenced a 14-day warning strike over non-payment of seven (7) months salaries to their new members.
Members of the association, who staged a mini protest on the premises of the facility on Tuesday, April 3rd, vowed to ground the activities at the government-owned medical facility, if their demands are not met.
The president of the association, John Matthew, spoke during the protest and lamented that their members are yet to be paid their entitlements, he also cited other reasons for the strike action, including, non-payment of palliative to House Officers since February; failure to disburse the February Hazard Allowance despite assurances from the state government and shortage of staff resulting from the resignation of doctors from the hospital. The doctor said their staff strength have drastically reduced in the last few months as they have gone from having 150 doctors on their roaster to having only 26. “We demand full payment of the arrears of salaries owed to our members and payment of the February 2024 palliative to our house officers,” he urged.
“Management should pay the February hazard allowance to our members and urgently address the severe clinical manpower shortage in the institution.”
The state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) had called on the state government to address the issue of shortage of resident doctors in state-owned hospitals.
