By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS—MINISTER of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, yesterday, appealed to the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, not to embark on another round of nationwide strike.

Chukwu made the appeal following insistence by the aggrieved doctors to down tools over non-payment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for Medical and Dental Officers, CONMESS, from January 2010 to date.

The minister said the Federal Government would accede to the doctors’ demands by paying the CONMESS package as well as the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, for pharmacists, medical laboratory, nurses and other health workers in the health sector.

He said: “All health workers under the government will get paid appropriately this month,” adding that the arrears of CONHESS and CONMESS were captured in the Supplementary Budget which is currently before the National Assembly.

The minister added: “Government has given its commitment that all arrears will be paid by October 2010. From June 2010, all salaries will be based on CONHESS and CONMESS.”