The Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Tajudeen Abbas has appealed to the National Association of Resident Doctors NARD, to suspend their proposed strike action while lawmakers intervene.
Dr. Abbas disclosed this during a meeting with the leadership of the body and the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of health.
He urged the association to understand the fact that a new administration just came on board and still in the process of settling down as Ministers are to be officially nominated and cleared to assume office.
While praising the patriotism and sacrifices of the resident doctors despite the various hardships of their work, the speaker promised that the 10th House would utilize every legislative tool at its disposal to guarantee that they are fairly paid.
“We must approach these issues with an open mind and guided by the fact that revenues available to the government may not fully meet our demands. Therefore, we must find a middle ground that satisfies everyone without prejudice to the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding.
“We particularly note that your demands include the payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and salary arrears dating back to 2015. These issues and more can be resolved without embarking on an industrial action.
Dr Abbas called on them to take advantage of the meeting to bare their minds on the issues at stake and suggest realistic solutions to them.