The minister said, “If you drink raw water from the stream and other raw water (sources, which) is carrying the cholera bacteria because somebody upstream has already defecated in water, downstream, you think you’re getting pure water, you’re not. He said the cholera was caused by contaminated water consumed by people. On the cholera outbreak in the country, Mr Ehanire said the country will distribute chemicals for treating water to areas of concern. The association also decried the undue hardship its members on GIFMIS platform are facing due to the delays in payment of their salaries ranging from three to seven months. They also demanded a review of the hazard allowance for health workers due to the risk associated with their profession. They had demanded, amongst other things, the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement allowance to some of its members in federal and state tertiary institutions. The doctors’ grievances are contained in a Memorandum of Action (MOA), endorsed in April by both the striking doctors and the government representatives, including Mr Ngige. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Monday, August 2, resumed indefinitely the strike it had suspended earlier in April, saying having observed things for more than 100 days, the union realised that the government was taking its members for granted. “Among the 12 original demands that they made, seven were state-related and federal government cannot compel a state to pay you a certain salary that you want,” he said. So if the state government has not paid some people a salary why go on a nationwide strike? “Part of the problem we have is that some of the demands are with state governments, not the federal government. ILO recommends that if you didn’t work, then why will you take your salary that comes from taxpayers’ money. Speaking on the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy of the government, the minister said “Yes, but that’s the standard thing. “I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the whole country,” he said. If you have any problem, any grudges, let’s talk about it. “Every country who has a difficult situation at this time should understand that responsibility is on all of us. We are having a strike for the third time this year that is not good. “We have said openly that this is not a good time for doctors to go on strike. He said embarking on an industrial action in the middle of an outbreak is “unconscionable.” The minister, who said Nigeria could be the only country in the world where doctors are on strike amidst the global pandemic, said the ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule isn’t a punitive measure against the striking doctors but an implementation of the provisions of law.
The health minister, Osagie Ehanire, made the appeal during the 18th ministerial briefing, which was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Thursday.
The Nigerian government has appealed to the striking resident doctors to return to work while talks continue on the areas of disagreement.
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