Buhari Enjoys Medical Service In UK As Sick Nigerians Suffer With Resident Doctors' Strike Entering Day 6
While President Muhammadu Buhari keeps consulting with doctors in London, United Kingdom, millions of Nigerians in the last six days have been left without access to medical treatment due to a nationwide strike embarked on by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
President Buhari on July 26 travelled to London, United Kingdom to participate in the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025 and see his doctors.
According to Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, the President will also spend some days for an earlier scheduled medical follow-up.
“After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for an earlier scheduled medical check-up. He is due back by the second week of August 2021,” Adesina had said.
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This came a few days after SaharaReporters exposed how the visit was planned ‘secretly’ to avoid rampage or any "embarrassing protest" against the Nigerian President in London.
On the 2nd of August, the National President of NARD, Dr. Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa announced an indefinite strike action nationwide.
The doctors strike action comes on the trail of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and at a time when President Buhari is in the UK for medical reasons.
Their grievances are contained in a Memorandum of Action (MOA) endorsed in April by both the striking doctors and government representatives, including the Labour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige.
But the doctors’ association expressed regret that the agreement, which had led to the suspension of a week-long strike earlier in April, had been ignored by the government.
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They accused Ngige, a former governor and also a medical doctor by profession, of not paying adequate attention to doctors’ welfare.
The doctors had demanded amongst other things, the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement allowance to some of its members in federal and state tertiary institutions.
They also demanded the review of hazard allowance for health workers due to the risk associated with their profession.
The association also decried the undue hardship its members on the GIFMIS platform are facing due to the delays in payment of their salaries ranging from three to seven months.
A communique issued at the end of its national executive council meeting which held in Abia State, South-East Nigeria, reads in parts; “The NEC noted that despite Government promise to migrate her members from the GIFMIS to the IPPIS platform, they are still stuck on the GIFMIS platform which is laced with payment irregularities.
“The NEC noted with grievous concerns the circular from the Head of Service of the Federation removing House Officers from the scheme of service and the consequent implementation by the Lagos State Government.”
The body also claims that some house officers, who are fresh graduates from medical schools, are still owed between one to two months salaries, and that “the NEC noted that ‘bench fee’ for outside postings by resident doctors has been abolished, however, some Chief Medical Directors have renamed the bench fee as training fee causing hardship for our members.”
Rather than hold talks with the doctors, Ngige on Friday said he invoked the “no work, no pay” rule.
“They will not receive money for the period that they are on strike and it will never count for a pensionable position in their career,” he said.
Asked if that was a fair position, the Minister declared that “that’s what it is”.
“Even the ILO (International Labour Organisation) supports it because they (doctors) offer essential services,” he said, adding that they were not supposed to go on strike without notifying him 15 days prior.
Although he admitted that NARD sent him “a communique” of their meeting, detailing their grievances and the resolution to go on strike, it was not the same as a trade dispute notification which he insists is what they ought to have sent to him.
PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
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