TheNigeria Medical Association (NMA) has cautioned the Federal and State governments over the lingering strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which has paralyzed hospital activities nationwide.
The NMA warned that it would join the strike if resident doctors are not paid all their due wages to call off the industrial action.
The NMA, in a statement issued on Friday signed by its Chairman on Inter Affiliate Affairs, Dr Rosemary Uzowulu, titled: “High cost of governance maintained yet payment of doctors to avert health sector destruction a failure from government”, said the ongoing strike was avoidable, if those within corridors of power are sincere.
The body of doctors accused the political leaders of playing games with health of Nigerians because they can afford overseas medical treatment.
The statement read in part: “It is most unfortunate that budget allocation for newspapers for assembly members, state governors, presidency are approved and implemented within days of signing by Mr President, and yet the residency training allocation budgeted and endorsed cannot be implemented.
“The country in face of high cost of governance has decided to use the health of her subject to play chess game where king and queens display power of crown by killing their guards.
“I call on well meaning Nigerians across the country to quickly put a stop to the strike by mandating those concerned including the state governors for state hospitals to pay the resident doctors all their due wages or stand the chance of black cloud collapse from NMA if the battle lingers.”
Meanwhile, the Federal government and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has taken the lingering trade dispute to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Friday in a letter addressed to NARD and the Federal Ministry of Health.
He wrote: “Whereas trade dispute has arisen and now exists between NARD and the Federal Ministry of Health/Federal Government and whereas efforts to promote settlement through conciliation were ongoing but had now failed.
“Considering the facts that members of NARD who are classified as essential services workers/employees had embarked on strike on August. 2, over the issues under conciliation.
”Contrary to the provisions of Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, after attending a Conciliation and Agreement Review meeting on July 22.
”Further considering that the Federal Ministry of Health claims to have and produced evidence to have met most of their demands based on the various Memorandum of Action reached during past conciliations, especially that of July 22.
“Now therefore, I , Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 17 of the Trades Disputes Act , CAP T8 laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“‘I, hereby refer the matter for consideration, and the issues in dispute to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication,” he said.
The minister had given the NARD leadership till the end of work on August 11 to convene a virtual meeting of its National Executive Committee to brief its members on the efforts of government with a view to calling off its strike.