Strike: Speaker ask doctors to be realistic with their demands
Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, requested the National Association of Resident Doctors, or NARD, to halt their scheduled strike so that the government could get involved in the conflict and begged them to be reasonable in their demands.
He also encouraged NARD staff to exercise patience as the matter was being settled peacefully.
The speaker, who addressed the doctors’ leadership during a meeting in his office, also urged them to bring up practical solutions to the contentious issues.
Recall that resident doctors went on a warning strike prior to the election of the present administration, calling for a 200% raise in their pay and other benefits.
They demanded, among other things, the payment of all outstanding salaries, the implementation of the CONMESS salary structure and new hazard allowance, domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, and payment of the medical residency training fund to its members in state tertiary healthcare facilities.
After calling off the strike, the doctors gave the administration a new two-week deadline to accede to their demands.
However, the speaker claimed that the doctors’ leadership’s willingness to meet with the House was a confirmation of their faith and confidence in the body’s ability to step in and address the still-controversial issues.
He said: “This is most reassuring, owing to the fact that the 9th Assembly had previously intervened in this matter. We hope to even go beyond the steps and actions taken by the previous House to ensure that we find a lasting resolution to the ever lingering crisis.
“Given your faith in us, I would urge you to suspend the impending industrial action while we intervene. We equally seek your understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board and still in the process of settling down, as ministers are yet to assume office.
“We are not unmindful of the many sacrifices resident doctors have continued to make in the health sector, in spite of the many challenges you face and the poor conditions within which you work.
”While many of your colleagues have left the shores of our country in pursuit of better working conditions, you have chosen to remain behind in service to the fatherland.
”We commend you for this and assure you that we would deploy every legislative instrument available to us to ensure that you are fully compensated and rewarded for this act of patriotism.”
“I encourage you to take advantage of this meeting to bare your minds on the issues at stake and suggest realistic solutions to them. 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.”
The speaker after his remakes, entered into a close door meeting with NARD representatives of the ministry of finance and lawmakers.