The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors has lamented the state of acute manpower shortages in the tertiary health institutions in Nigeria occasioned by the ongoing brain drain in the health sector.
The association urged the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors Forum to prevail on the governors of Ekiti, Imo and Ondo states to urgently pay arrears of salaries and allowances owed her members in the respective states.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of NARD held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Saturday.
The AGM, tagged, “Unity AGM,” discussed the theme, “Lasting strategies for Healthcare Development in Nigeria: A Panacea for Preventing Industrial Actions and Brain Drain.”
In the communiqué, which was read by the NARD President, Dr Orji Innocent, the association promised to make meaningful contributions toward preventing the brain drain in the health sector as a key stakeholder in the sector.
The communiqué read in part, “The AGM appreciates the Federal Government for the payment of the 2022 medical residency training fund, which was made at the old rate. The AGM, therefore, urges the National Assembly to ensure its passage into the 2023 appropriation act to enable seamless payment of the arrears of the 2022 and 2023 MRTF at the new rate.
“The AGM urges the Federal Government to expedite the payment of the new hazard allowance as contained in the circular from the National Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission dated December 22, 2021, with reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/11/406 and the arrears thereof.
“The AGM asks the Federal Government to urgently pay the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015, and 2016 to deserving members as the patience of the association is waning concerning this matter.
“The AGM calls on the Federal Government, the Nigeria Governors Forum, stakeholders, and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the governors of Ekiti (three months), Imo (10 months) and Ondo (five months) states urgently need to pay salaries and allowances owed our members in their tertiary health institutions as stated above, as this is becoming embarrassing.
“The AGM appreciates Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, for the payment of seven months out of 24 months of salaries owed to resident doctors in the Abia State University teaching hospital this week, and we hope that he keeps the promise to pay two months’ salary arrears monthly until the arrears are cleared.”
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