Doctor’s strike: Labour Minister says Demands have been Addressed

The Nigerian government says it has addressed all the demands of striking Doctors except one which touches on the “no work no pay” rule.

The government is therefore calling on members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to call off their 33-day old strike.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige revealed this to State House Correspondents after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him “We have come to an agreement on all the demands including those that even affect the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the medical Doctors who are in the academics and teaching in universities”

The Minister said it was unfortunate that the strike is taking so long because, in other climes, people on essential services like the health sector don’t go on strike arbitrarily. Ngige said the ‘no work no pay’ rule had been applied in the past and the case of the resident Doctors cannot be an exception.

The Minister called on the striking doctors to resume work first, in order to give room for further action on their sole demand that has not been granted.