The Speaker of the House of Rep. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has called on the Resident Doctors to call off their strike while resolutions for their demand are implemented one after the other by the government.
The Speaker who expressed surprise over the nationwide strike on Monday, after last Tuesday’s 3-hours meeting with the leadership of the resident doctors and the executive arm led by the two ministers of the Federal Ministry of Health, said that a lot have been achieved.
These are the hazard allowance inclusion in the revised 2020 Budget, with the law to back it up and The provision of N4 billion approved by the House from the Service Wide Votes for the funding of residency programme as provided for by the Medical Residency Training Act which the Senate also agreed to, on the issue of PPEs, it was revealed at the meeting that all Federal Government medical facilities in the country have been provided, while the sack of 23 doctors was also resolved.
The emergency meeting with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission this Monday, June 15 is also to produce template in the next 48 hours.
Speaker Gbajabiamila He said that the leadership of the House would not fold its arms while resident doctors embark on strike at this time of COVID-19 pandemic.
He then appealed to NARD to tarry a while and allow the government works assiduously to meet their entitlements since the revised 2020 budget was passed only last week and all processes for presidential assent and implementation are yet to kick-off in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies including Health.
The Resident Doctors are demanding payment of the outstanding hazard allowance, stoppage of the arbitrary disengagement of 23 doctors at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital,
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They are also demanding for life insurance following the death of some doctors from COVID-19 and the non-reduction of doctors’ salary by the Kaduna State Government.
Editor: Tunde Orebiyi
