Date: 2017-09-05

National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter yesterday joined the indefinite strike over alleged cut in salaries.

NARD UITH President Ige Alexander, told reporter in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that out of the 54 teaching hospitals in the federation, the UITH doctors received the least wages.

Dr Alexander said: "The management of the UITH keeps on slashing our salaries since January 2014 and we are forced to contribute a fraction of the salary which management said is a palliative contribution.

"We believe contributions should be willingly done and not mandatory. When we complain, we are met with threats."

He maintained that UITH resident doctors would use all necessary means to ensure justice.

"Corruption is no more a big word in Nigeria, we appeal to the Senate to establish a committee to probe the teaching hospitals and see what is going on.

"We are ready to press legal action and even petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and ICPC," he said.

He noted that some of the agitation by the national body of NARD include withdrawal of circular reversing skipping, enrollment of all doctors into IPPIS, payment of arrears of salary shortfall and prevention of further shortfall among others.

But the action failed yesterday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, Delta State where activities were in full swing despite the indefinite strike called by NARD.

There was initial apprehension among patients when NARD announced an indefinite strike as the health facility had lately been plagued by strike.

However, the institution's branch of NARD complied with the stay at home directive of the union's national body.

Chairman of NARD at Asaba FMC, Dr. Nosa Uwugiaren, who spoke on phone said his members fully complied with order to embark on industrial action.

Uwugiaren said resident doctors at the institution would not resume work until there is a contrary order from the national executive.

However, the presence of other care givers including consultants, nurses and student doctors ensured the impact of the strike was not felt.

Normal activities were ongoing including patients being taken on admission. A nurse who spoke under anonymous condition said the strike by a section of health workers could not paralyse activities at the hospital.

She said: "Patients are being attended to, those to be admitted are taken on admission. The consultants who are actually the owners of the patients are not on strike. Other health workers are also not on strike, so we will do our best to fill the vacuum created by the absence of resident doctors.