JUST IN: Resident Doctors set to meet FG Over Strike as Nationwide Protest Looms

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) will meet with the federal government today to discuss the ongoing strike action and planned protest.

TrackNews Media reports that the meeting will determine if the protest, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, will hold as planned.

NARD embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26 over the failure of the government to implement its demands.

The demands include payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF); immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS).

Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard and skipping allowance.

Amid the strike action, NARD had announced that its members will embark on peaceful nationwide protests from Wednesday, August 9.

The association said the protests will involve picketing of the federal ministry of health, the office of the head of the civil service of the federation, and the federal and state tertiary health institutions across the country.

NARD President Emeka Orji said the association is hopeful that the meeting with the government will be fruitful and that the strike action and protest will be called off.

“I cannot mention the federal government representatives we will be meeting with for now. But we will disclose our next move after the meeting maybe in the next four to five hours,” Orji said.