The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has ordered doctors at the Covid-19 isolation centres to join the ongoing nationwide strike.

NARD threatened that failure to do so will attract a fine of N5million.

The body also warned that any branches ignoring the ongoing strike, which started on April 1, would not be able to hold any national position for the next two years.

The threat to impose a N5million fine on errant branches was contained in an internal memo sent out to members by the National Executive Council of the association.

The internal memo read in part, “NARD affirms her commitment to the welfare of all members. All members of NARD will be levied the sum of N2, 500 as a strike levy for the smooth prosecution of the industrial action.

“Penalty for any centre that sabotages the industrial action will be payment of a fine of N5million and suspension from holding any NARD national officers committee positions for two years.”

NARD, an association of doctors undergoing residency training, had on April 1 begun a nationwide strike over the government’s failure to pay salaries of house officers and review the N5,000 hazard allowance of doctors.

Last-minute efforts on March 31 by the Federal Government to prevent the strike failed as the doctors shunned an agreement they signed with the government on the grounds that the proposals contained in it were not new.

On Hazard Allowance, he said the government had started talks with NMA and others since February.

Ngige said, “That issue about hazard allowance, we started that proactively in February. I started that with the Remuneration Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the instance of the NMA President who solicited for me to see them.

“With my officials from Employment and Wages Department, we started some discussion. We have also held some preliminary discussions with some other groups in the health sector. This is a business or work in progress.

“For anybody to say that we have not started discussing, it is a lie. But, it is not a business we can do with only doctors. We have discussed it with lab technologists, medical workers union, association of radiologists, pharmacists and all that work in the hospital environment. Everybody that works in hospital environment as at today takes hazard allowance

“The hazard allowance they are taking today is very paltry, it is N5,000. That was why the Federal Government decided to shelve it and paid them Special Covid-19 Hazard Allowance last year for the months of April, May and June. And it cost the government N32billion.

In a statement by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through its Deputy Director (Press), Mr. Charles Akpan, explained why the salary arrears accumulated.

It accused some Chief Medical Directors of conducting recruitment of House Officers in violation of a circular which prohibited it.

It said, “The central placement of House Officers was approved by the FEC for all would be intern in federal tertiary institutions to enable these graduates not to roam the streets for up to twelve months, waiting for spaces for housemanship. This was meant to curb favouritism and corruption associated with their recruitment in different centres, hence, the last Executive Committee of the NMA was informed of the decision and they fully supported.

“This same centralised recruitment was meant for other health professionals. But, medical graduates were chosen for the pilot, which was to start in 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, January, 2021, was chosen as the commencement of recruitment from the federal teaching hospitals and medical centres. NMA was aware of this arrangement and made no effort to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Committee of Chief Medical Directors to ensure a smooth transition and migration of house officers at the tail end of their training programmes into the IPPIS platform for the uninterrupted continuation of their emoluments, salaries and allowances.

It also quoted the minister as saying, “I am aware that the NMA President had complained he does not get the expected cooperation, even audience with the two health ministers and their officials, but that is one of the challenges faced by people in leadership, a situation that has made my ministry to play proactive roles to prevent the strike not only in health sector, but in education and others.

“But the NMA President is reminded that he cannot effectively pilot the big job of the presidency of the Nigerian Medical Association from his new seat as the vice chancellor of the new Federal University of Medical Science, Oturkpo, Benue State.”