ARD-UITH joins nationwide strike over welfare issues

The Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH) branch, on Thursday joined the nationwide strike over welfare issues.

The striking doctors are pressing for improved salaries, allowances and poor working condition.

Dr Badmus Habeeb, the President of the association, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

Habeeb stated that they are in solidarity with the national body on the industrial action over burning issues affecting residency training, healthcare delivery and the welfare of members across the country.

According to him, the association is also in solidarity with other members in some teaching hospitals who have gone for three months now without salaries despite uninterrupted service delivery to the nation.

Quoting the Communiqué from the national body, Habeeb explained that the action was caused by the inefficiency of the Registrar of MDCN in handling the processes of central placement of House Officers as approved by the Federal Executive Council since 2017.

“NARD lamented the inhumane treatment been meted on our members in some State Tertiary Institutions like ABSUTH being owed twenty months salaries, IMSUTH five months salaries and UNIMEDTH three months salaries.

“The NEC also observed that despite the three months window given to the Federal Government to review the hazard allowance of health workers, the hazard allowance has remained a paltry sum of N5,000 monthly.”

He noted that NARD has therefore advised the government on the immediate Payment of all salaries owed to all house officers including March salaries.

“There should also be immediate payment of all salary arrears including March salaries for our members on all Federal (GIFMIS platform) and State Tertiary Health Institutions across the country especially ABSUTH, IMSUTH and UNIMEDTH.

“There is the need for upward review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance especially in State owned-tertiary institutions, among others,” he said.