The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has
rejected the approved N25,000 quarterly accoutrement allowance from the federal
government.
In a circular signed by Ekpo Nta, chairman of the national
salary and wages commission, the federal government said it had approved the
payment of an accoutrement allowance of N25,000 per quarter to medical and
dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres and clinics in the federal public
service.
“The allowance is to be paid from the overhead budget,” the
circular reads.
In a separate circular, the federal government said it had
also approved a 25% increase in consolidated medical salary structure
(CONMESS).
Speaking with TheCable on Saturday, Emeka Orji, NARD
president, said the association has rejected the accoutrement allowance as it
does not meet the doctors’ demands.
“In the letter we wrote to the federal government last year,
we also asked for instrument allowances to be included. Many of the instruments
in public hospitals were procured by doctors themselves. I buy instruments I
use to operate my patients. These are things the government should be
providing,” he said.
“These instruments also wear out and we need to replace
them. Having this in mind, is it N25,000 per quarter that will be able to
address it? What we requested for is nothing near what they offered and that is
why we are rejecting it.”
In a communique on Saturday after a meeting of its national
executive council (NEC) in Lagos, NARD conveyed the rejection of the 25 percent
salary increase which it described as “paltry”.
“NEC has resolved to vehemently reject the paltry 25%
increment in the basic salary of doctors as well as the accouterment allowance,
adding that her earlier demand is for full restoration of the Consolidated
Medical Salary Structure to its right value as at the time of the approval of
the structure in 2009,” the communique reads.
The association said it would continue the ongoing
nationwide total and indefinite strike action until reasonable progress is made
by the government to address its demands.
The salary and allowance approval come in the wake of an
indefinite strike by the resident doctors.
The association is demanding the immediate payment of the
2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF), release of the circular on
one-for-one replacement, payment of skipping arrears, and upward review of the
CONMESS by at least 200%.
Other demands include payment of the arrears of
consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, reversal of the
downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of
Nigeria (MDCN), new hazard allowance, and payment of omitted hazard allowance
arrears.
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