Resident Doctors Give Federal Government 14 Days to Resolve Welfare Disputes
By GLEBM News Desk
Nigeria’s resident doctors have given the Federal Government a 14-day deadline to address outstanding welfare and professional demands, warning that failure to act could result in nationwide industrial action.
The National Association of Resident Doctors issued the ultimatum at the conclusion of its 46th Annual General Meeting in Calabar.
The doctors said several agreements reached with the Federal Government concerning remuneration, professional allowances, career progression and working conditions had not been fully implemented.
The association said prolonged delays had affected the welfare of resident doctors and placed additional pressure on health professionals working within the country’s public hospitals.
It also raised concerns about manpower shortages, saying the continued migration of doctors and other healthcare professionals abroad had increased workloads for those remaining in Nigeria.
The association is demanding implementation of outstanding agreements as well as the payment of salaries and entitlements owed to house officers.
It also wants a standardised system for compensating doctors who work beyond normal workloads because of staff shortages.
Other demands include improved hospital infrastructure, better medical equipment, stronger protection for health workers against assault and increased investment in the health sector.
The doctors’ concerns come amid broader challenges facing Nigeria’s public healthcare system, including shortages of personnel, infrastructure deficits and increasing demand for medical services.
A prolonged industrial dispute could have consequences for patients because resident doctors form an important part of the workforce providing services in federal and state hospitals.
The 14-day deadline therefore places pressure on both sides to resolve the outstanding issues before the expiration of the ultimatum.
For the Federal Government, resolving the dispute would require addressing both immediate financial obligations and longer-term concerns about the retention and working conditions of medical professionals.
For the doctors, the central concern is the implementation of agreements they say have already been reached rather than the negotiation of entirely new demands.
The situation will be closely watched by patients, hospital administrators and other health-sector stakeholders as the deadline approaches.
