FG To Doctors: Go Back To Work, We Have Paid You

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The federal government has urged the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call off its strike, saying government had substantially met its demands with some of the doctors receiving payment.

According to the federal government,  the association has lost all moral and legal grounds to continue its seven-day-old industrial action.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, minister of labour and employment Senator Chris Ngige said the federal government has not only substantially met the seven-point demand by NARD, it has also demonstrated transparency  in their implementation.

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“The House officers have started receiving their payments in the federal government Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres  across the federation. I spoke with the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) as well as with two chief medical directors (CMDs) of teaching hospitals this morning and they confirmed payment to House officers.

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“By the close of work today (Wednesday) all would have been paid as  the officers at the office of the AGF worked even during the public holidays to this effect,” Ngige said.

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According to  the minister, even though some of the House officers were recruited outside the quota allocated by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and some were  recruited between January  and March when there was an embargo on selective recruitment by Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, amnesty was granted to them all and they to be paid in line with the Memorandum of Action (MoA).

Ngige said: “We have also abolished benching in training as well as stopped the deduction of N15,000  per month from the salaries of House doctors for accommodation. We directed the refund of the deductions and the entire money is now paid to the House Doctors  to negotiate with the local authorities and sort out individual accommodation.

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“The MDCN has also opened her online portal for the recruitment of House officers effective  April 1, 2021 in the spirit of the MoA. It has also started recruiting  and posting  House doctors almost immediately, even within the public holidays. All these are items time-lined in the MoA for execution within three to four weeks and that is why we agreed to meet in four weeks to access implementation.”

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