After 51 days of embarking on strike, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has insisted that it will not call it off until its demands are met.
The association’s leadership admitted that it met the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, for the first time, since it started the strike but it has not changed anything as their demands have not been met.
Before now, Ngige has been the one spearheading meetings with representatives of NARD in a bid to end the strike.
However, the Secretary General of NARD, Dr Jerry Isogun, confirmed the meeting with Ehanire in an interview, saying that “The minister (Ehanire) met with us for the first time on Monday, without the presence of the Minister of Labour and Employment.
“He spoke to us and explained some things to us and said he was working really hard to make sure that issues were resolved.
“We also shared our grievances with him. He listened and he said he would get back to us and make sure that everything is resolved.”
When asked if the association had faith in Ehanire and if the strike would be called off immediately, the NARD secretary said, “Of course, we trust him and we believe he is going to do as he promised.
“Like I said, that was the first time he was meeting us and he had promised to get back. Though he didn’t say when he would do so.
“It doesn’t mean we are calling off the strike immediately. Our position still holds. Pay us our money and rectify all the outstanding issues and then strike will be called off.”
The NARD declared the strike action on July 30 at its National Executive Council meeting with the theme, ‘The Nigerian doctor, an endangered species: grappling with a pandemic, poor workplace infrastructure and security threats.’
