BY VICTORIA OJEME

ABUJA — National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria, NARD, has warned the Federal Government to strictly adhere to agreements reached with it or risk another round of strike across the country.

President of the Association, Dr Jubril Abdullahi, gave this warning at a briefing at the National Hospital   after several weeks of monitoring the implementation of agreements signed by the National Executive Council, NEC, of the association

He said:  “We observed   that government is yet to fully implement the agreements reached, relating to proper funding of residency training, implementation of payment system and welfare of our members.

“The sudden and unwarranted removal of teaching allowances from the emoluments of some category of our members despite paying it to allied health workers and the presence of an adopted position on its retention for all doctors.

“Termination of rural posting allowances in institutions that hitherto have been enjoying it” They stressed that, “this is surprising as the relevant authorities saddled with the responsibility of determining rural centers are yet to sit.

“It is pertinent to state that, contrary to stories being peddled by partners nay adversaries in the industry that a new salary package has been approved for doctors as contained in the joint AHPU and JOHESU press briefing of March 10th, what was done was to correct the injustice done to doctors twenty two years ago.”
Dr. Abdullahi said government should also be ready to face another round of disruption of services in the country unless it did the needful.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, has directed the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, and its partners to ensure Nigeria exited the group of polio endemic countries, in line with the presidential deadline on the programme.

The Minister gave the order while receiving the Executive Director of the Agency Dr. Ado Muhammad, who was in his office to brief him on the mandate; progress and challenges facing the agency on its programmes’