Doctors begin warning strike over pay
By Ben Ukwuoma, Asst. Health Editor
MEDICAL services in all federal and state health institutions in the country are to be disrupted today as doctors begin a two-day warning strike to press for the payment of the monthly emoluments as well as implementation of an approved increase in their basic salary.
The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD), who directed all its members to down tools, also handed a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to urgently address the funding in the health sector with particular reference to personnel costs.
The Nigeria Union of Pharmacists, Medical Scientists and Professions Allied to Medicine, Lagos State chapter, will also begin a two-day warning strike over similar demands. The pharmacists and allied practitioners warned that if after the two-day strike their demands were not met, they would begin a 14-day first phase industrial action.
The president of the doctors' association, Dr. Jerry Oguzie at the weekend in Lagos, lamented the persistent part payment of their salaries, saying: "The pains, suffering and losses this action of government has brought upon us only needs to be imagined than experienced. They cannot be quantified."
He continued: "Since November 2003, most of our members have been paid their salaries on percentage basis. What this translates to, is that a medical doctor works for 30 days of the month and gets paid for less than 15 days. As I speak to you at the moment, our members are being owed salaries for more than three months".
We are not asking for any new remuneration, all we are asking for is to be paid fully for work fully done," he added.
Oguzie also decried the discriminatory implementation of the 22 per cent increase in the basic salaries of doctors approved by the government three years ago, and the non-payment of entitlements in respect of doctors' professional examinations.
He said that while some health institutions were implementing the circular approving the 22 per cent salary increase, some others were yet to. "The government is yet to officially sanction the recalcitrant institutions," he added.
Oguzie declared: "Because of these injustices being systematically meted out to us and also to press home our rights, the National Executive Council of the association has directed all resident doctors in the federation to stay at home on Monday (today) and Tuesday (tomorrow)."
Also, members of the Nigeria Union of Pharmacists, Medical Scientists and Professions Allied to Medicine, Lagos State chapter embarked on a two-day warning strike today to press home their demand for payment of outstanding allowances.
The union, in a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Mr. A.T. Olalekan and secretary, R.B.B. Samuel, said the warning strike was also meant to sensitise both the Lagos State government and the public on its resolve to begin an indefinite strike at the end of the 14 days notice earlier given.
The union recalled that in June 2001, call duty and other allowances for medical doctors and other health workers were reviewed upward by the Salaries and Wages Commission in a circular Ref./ SWC/ S/04 /5.15.vol.11/7.
"Although the Lagos State government commenced the implementation of the new allowances in 2002, it chose to be discriminatory with only the medical doctors enjoying the enhanced payment while other health professionals have not benefited three years after and efforts to get the government initiate payment have been unfruitful," the union said.
It added: "We have made representation, sent letters of appeal to government at various levels with a view to preventing any action that would affect patients and the public, but the attitude of government suggests that only doctors deserve to be paid the reviewed allowances."
The two-day warning strike today and the indefinite strike billed to start next week, the union warned, will drag on until the allowances are paid and outstanding arrears since June 2001 settled.
While calling on well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in the matter to prevent the disruption of health services, the union stated that the planned strike would affect drug procurement, laboratory tests, blood transfusion in health institutions and other vital health delivery services.
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