The Federal Government has sealed a deal with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to resolve the pending demands.
Doctors had at 8am on Wednesday, May 17, commenced a five-day warning strike to demand for improved conditions of service.
But NARD had on April 29, 2023, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face industrial disharmony.
The ultimatum ended on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Ahead of the warning strike, which is expected to end on Monday, May 22, at 8am, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the doctors on Friday, May 19.
Top officials of Federal Government agencies in the health sector and other relevant agencies signed the MoU on the part of government, while President of NMA, Dr Uche Ojinmah and his counterpart at the NARD, Dr Emeka Orji signed on behalf of the doctors.
In a press statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Olajide Oshundun stated that the agreement was signed at the office of Dr Ngige.
He said that officials of NARD were directed to present the deliberations of the meeting to its members in an emergency meeting to be held within 48 hours, with a view to suspending the strike.
The doctors are demanding an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) to the tune of 200 per cent of their current gross salaries.
NARD also requested the immediate withdrawal of the bill seeking to compel medical and dental graduates to render five-year compulsory services in Nigeria before receiving full licence to practise.
In addition, they sought the immediate implementation of CONMESS, domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, and review of hazard allowance by all the state governments and private tertiary health institutions, among other issues.
Oshundun said parties agreed that health is in the Residual List and not on the Concurrent List of the Constitution, which is why the Federal Government cannot compel state governments to effect payment of salaries and allowances in the health sector.
He disclosed that the NMA and NARD were advised to embrace more persuasion and social dialogue at the state level.
Oshundun quoted Ngige as saying that the Federal Ministry of Health had taken the matter of perennial non-payment of salaries of Abia doctors to the National Council on Health.
He pointed out that the council had requested the state government to pay the doctors who had been on strike for several months, in order to guarantee robust health delivery to the people.
The spokesperson hinted that the Federal Government cannot compel state governments to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act and pay the same salaries as paid by the Federal Government.
He disclosed that the ministry advised NARD to reach out to states that are not paying and negotiate with them, even if the rates are lower than that of the Federal Government.
On the bill for bonding of doctors for five years before licensing, sponsored by Rep. Ganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos State) he said: “It was agreed that the Executive arm of government could not interfere with it being a private member’s bill and not an Executive bill.
“The meeting resolved to await the public hearing on the bill, where the doctors will deal with it through the NMA to ensure it does not see the light of day."
He maintained that the recommendations of the Federal Ministry of Health’s Brain Drain Committee on exited doctors had been forwarded to the Office of Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF) for further action.
Ngige said that the OHSF was directed to engage all stakeholders on the matter by May 24, so as to facilitate the approval of the implementation plan on or before June 5.
He hinted that the plan would be transmitted to teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres for implementation, saying that the fund for the payment of 2023 Medical Residency Training was captured in the 2023 budget.
The minister was optimistic that the payment would begin during the implementation of the budget, adding that the budget office had directed the Federal Ministry of Health to present a comprehensive list of all resident doctors in the Federal tertiary health institutions.
He informed that the Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria had sent the list through the Federal Ministry of Health for payment as soon as funds are released.
Ngige enjoined NARD to re-present the list of doctors omitted in the payment of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment to the ministry on May 22.
He stated that the list should have annexes of the old submission and same copied to the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment.
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