The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has suspended its warning strike following the intervention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The strike, which began on Wednesday, had grounded all FCTA-owned hospitals in Abuja.According to Dr. George Ebong, President of the Association, the FCTA has met their demands, prompting the call-off of the strike. Ebong made the announcement in a statement released on Friday.
The doctors had embarked on the strike to press for the payment of their 6-month salary arrears, among other demands. However, with Wike’s intervention, the FCTA has begun paying the owed salaries.
Dr. Ebong revealed that members of the Association have started receiving alerts for the payment of their 6-month salary arrears. This development has brought relief to the doctors, who had been owed salaries for several months.In addition to the payment of salary arrears, Wike also approved the payment of accoutrement allowances owed to the doctors. The minister further approved the medical residency bonding, reducing it to 2 years.
The FCT Minister also approved the immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to address the severe shortage of manpower in FCTA-owned hospitals. This move is expected to improve healthcare services in the nation’s capital.
Dr. Ebong commended Wike for his prompt intervention, which has averted the impending indefinite shutdown of hospitals in Abuja. The Association’s President, however, urged the minister to address other outstanding demands to prevent future strikes. With the strike called off, doctors in the FCT are expected to resume work today, January 25, 2025. The Association’s decision to suspend the strike has brought relief to patients and healthcare services in Abuja.
“On behalf of the executive members and the entire supreme congress of the Association of the Resident Doctors, FCTA, I, Dr. George Ebong, deeply appreciate the Honourable Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his prompt and timely intervention in meeting our demands, thereby ending our warning shutdown and averting a looming timeless shutdown.
“The Honourable Minister intervened, approved, and ordered the immediate payment of the following:
The six months of arrears of the salaries owed to doctors and other health workers; the Medical Residency Training Funds (2024) that were owed; Approval of the immediate payment of the accoutrement allowance that was owed; Approval of the medical residency bonding to 2 years; Approval of the immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to cushion the severe shortage of manpower; Approval and immediate payment of locum doctors and other health workers that were owed.
“With this timely intervention by the Honourable Minister, every resident doctor is expected to resume his/her duty post tomorrow by 8:00 hours.“We also humbly plead with the Honourable Minister to put a mechanism in place to avoid a repeat of this anomaly.
“While we sincerely appreciate the goodwill of the Honourable Minister, we are also hopeful that our other demands will be attended to in due time, such as the payment of the hazard allowance, the upgrading and the rehabilitation of our healthcare facilities, the conversion of post part 2 to consultant cadre, among others.
“As stakeholders in the Renewed Hope Agenda, we strongly believe in your capacity as the Honourable Minister to turn the health sector of FCTA into a reference point for others to follow.
“Be rest assured of our continuous support in the actualisation of this agenda.“We hope that you will visit our district hospitals in no distant time as we eagerly await to warmly receive you. “Thank you very much, our Honourable Minister; we do not take your goodwill for granted,” the statement reads.
Source : https://www.channelstv.com/
