The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA), Abuja, has called off its three-day warning strike following the intervention of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Dr. George Ebong, the President of the Association, announced on Friday that the Federal Capital Territory Administration had addressed most of their concerns.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, was organized by the doctors to demand better working conditions and payment of outstanding allowances.
Dr. Ebong shared that the intervention of Minister Wike led to positive outcomes, with many of the doctors already receiving alerts for the six months’ worth of unpaid salary arrears. In addition, he confirmed that Wike had approved several other key demands.
Among the agreements reached, the doctors were informed that their long-awaited accoutrement allowance would be paid immediately. Furthermore, the Minister approved the Medical Residency Training Funds for 2024, which had been pending.
Dr. Ebong also mentioned that Wike authorized the immediate hiring of doctors and allied health workers to address the ongoing shortage of medical staff. The Minister also ordered the immediate payment of locum doctors and other health workers who had not received their compensation.
“On behalf of the executive members and the entire supreme congress of the ARD-FCTA, I, Dr. George Ebong, deeply appreciate the Honourable Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his prompt and timely intervention in meeting our demands, thereby ending our warning shutdown and averting a looming timeless shutdown.
“The Honourable Minister intervened, approved, and ordered the immediate payment of the six months of arrears of the salaries owed to doctors and other health workers; the Medical Residency Training Funds (2024) that were owed; Approval of the immediate payment of the accoutrement allowance that was owed; approval of the medical residency bonding to two years; approval of the immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to cushion the severe shortage of manpower; approval and immediate payment of locum doctors and other health workers that were owed.
“With this timely intervention by the Honourable Minister, every resident doctor is expected to resume his/her duty post tomorrow by 8:00 hours. We also humbly plead with the Honourable Minister to put a mechanism in place to avoid a repeat of this anomaly.
“While we sincerely appreciate the goodwill of the Honourable Minister, we are also hopeful that our other demands will be attended to in due time, such as the payment of the hazard allowance, the upgrading and the rehabilitation of our healthcare facilities, the conversion of post part two to consultant cadre, among others,” he stated.
