Key Points

• NARD to meet Saturday to assess the Federal Government’s offer.

• Doctors insist on fair pay, better working conditions, and implementation of welfare packages.

• Decision may determine whether another nationwide strike will begin.

This Saturday, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) will hold an emergency meeting to talk about the Federal Government’s latest offer. Tensions are rising because there are still unresolved issues that could lead to another nationwide strike in the health sector.

Dr. Dele Abdullahi, the group’s President, said that members will talk about the government’s written response to their long-standing demands, which include better pay, hazard pay, and the start of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).

Dr. Abdullahi says that the union’s National Executive Council will decide if the government’s position is acceptable or if an industrial action is still the only option. The move comes after weeks of stalled talks with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

Doctors want better working conditions and pay

The union for resident doctors has said many times that inflation and rising living costs have made current wages less valuable, making it hard for many medical professionals to get by. NARD said in a previous statement that the government’s failure to address important welfare issues has led to brain drain in the sector, with doctors leaving Nigeria for better job opportunities abroad.

“We’ve been patient long enough,” said a senior NARD member at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, who asked not to be named. “The government keeps promising changes, but they don’t happen very quickly. Our patients and hospitals are both hurting.

NARD is also pushing for the payment of overdue bills, more doctors to be hired in federal hospitals, and the end of what it calls “unjust taxation” on medical allowances.

If demands aren’t met, a strike is still possible

The review of the NARD strike will be a very important moment. The last nationwide strike by the association in 2023 shut down hospital services all over the country, leaving thousands of people without access to important care. Officials from the government, such as Minister of Health Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, have told doctors to think about going on strike again, saying that “constructive engagement” is already happening.

Union leaders, on the other hand, say that only real action, not just promises, will stop public hospitals from closing again. Dr. Abdullahi said, “We’re not against talking.” “But we want results, not talk.” First and foremost, the health and safety of doctors and patients must come first.

People who are watching think that the outcome of Saturday’s meeting will set the tone for how healthcare is delivered in the next few weeks, as both sides are under a lot of public pressure to avoid another disruption.