Resident Doctors Urged To Respect NIC Order.

As the Health Authorities and the striking doctors continue to bicker, an appeal has gone to the striking National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to obey the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) ordering its members to return to work and negotiate outstanding issues of disputes through social dialogue with the relevant health authorities.

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu made the appeal in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital North Central Nigeria, Saturday at the sideline of the monthly “Keep-fit- for Work” work out by the management and staff of the Institute.

This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Lawal Moshood, the Technical Adviser to the Director General.

Comrade Issa Aremu described the weekend order of the National Industrial Court as “a win- win ruling” which he said gave both the health authorities and the striking doctors “an ample opportunity” to suspend all forms of hostilities and maintain the status quo ante. He therefore urged National Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD) to return to negotiation table and ensure an agreement “that is binding all parties”.

In continuation of the hearing on the case brought against the doctors by the Federal government on Friday, Justice Bashar Alkali of the NIC ruled in favour of the government and ordered the striking doctors to resume work. In last year alone, medical practitioners were on strike three times over demands for allowances for treating COVID-19 patients and increment in basic salary.

Resident doctors across public health facilities in Nigeria have been on strike for over 40 days citing several reasons, that included delays in the payment of salaries and allowances and the payment of COVID-19 treatment allowances in the absence of death-in-service insurance.

The strike has causef more harm to the already affected health sector.