COVID-19: Resident doctors threaten fresh strike 

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Saturday gave the Federal Government three weeks to address its demands or risk industrial action.

The President of NARD, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja while reading a communiqué issued at the end of its virtual National Executive Council meeting and scientific conference held at the Gombe International Hotel, said the doctors would resume their suspended strike on August 17 if the federal government failed to address the demands.

The doctors are demanding the payment of the COVID-19 hazard allowance promised by the government.

NARD also urged the government and the National Assembly to probe the non-enrollment of healthcare workers into the Group Life Insurance, and non-payment of death-in-service benefit to the next-of-kin of dead members despite claims of payment to insurance companies.

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Sokomba said: “NEC resolved to extend the suspension of our strike action by three weeks to give the government time to address our demands, failure of which will leave us with no choice other than to resume the suspended strike on Monday, August 17 2020.”

The doctors had embarked on an industrial strike on June 15 to protest the non- payment of COVID-19 inducement allowance to frontline health workers.

They, however, suspended the strike on June 21 after the federal government promised to address their grievances.

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