Resident doctors begin strike in Ogun

A statement issued by the association on Wednesday stated that with the non-implementation, the doctors were only getting a fraction of their salary.

The statement signed by the Association of Resident Doctors’ (ARD) President, Dr Walter Nzeakah, General Secretary, Dr Sewanu Awhangansi and the Public Relations Officer, Dr Mojisola Adeniji, said the strike followed a resolution by the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARDs at a recent National Executive Council.

The statement obtained by Punch, said the NARD had mandated ARD chapters where members were not paid full salaries by the end July 2016 to withdrew their services.

They also stated that the directive for management of public health institutions to pay the CONMESS was issued by the federal government in December 2013, and became effective since 2014.

The doctors said their colleagues in Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta; Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos and the University College Hospital, Ibadan, had started receiving their full CONMESS.

According to the statement, the skipping of Consolidated Medical Salary Scale of level 2, for all medical doctors took effect from January 2014 as the circular was released in December 2013, adding that with the circular, resident doctors and medical officers were expected to skip CONMESS Level 2.”

The doctors lamented that the skipping had not been effected by management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta who had refused to pay the full salary.

The statement said as a result residents were being underpaid, while other members of staff had enjoyed the skipping and were enjoying full salary.