FCT Doctors Commence Indefinite Strike over Unpaid Allowances

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Doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) have embarked on indefinite strike over unpaid promotion allowances and COVID-19 hazard allowances.

The resident doctors declared the commencement of the strike today, 1 September 2020, through a communiqué signed by Roland Aigbovo and Mustapha Ibrahim, chairman and general secretary of the association.

The group expressed its grievances over the insensitivity displayed by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, FCT, towards the welfare of members amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

They said the decision was arrived at due to non-implementation of the variation of the 2018 promotion, the non-payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowances, and widespread agitations among their members in the various FCT hospitals and isolation/treatment centres.

While regretting the effects of the strike action on citizens, the association has called on FCT Administration to look into the issue and other myriads of problems raised in its earlier communication dated 14 August, 2020

The communiqué reads in part:

“Due to the insensitivity displayed by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, FCT, and widespread agitations among our members in the various FCT hospitals and isolation/treatment centres, we regret to notify the administration and by extension the general public that the association would embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8am, 1st September, 2020, until the payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance is received and the variation of the 2018 promotion exercise implemented.

“We regret any inconvenience this might cause the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the general public needing healthcare delivery during this period.

“We implore the FCT Administration to also look into the other myriads of problems raised in our earlier communication to the administration dated 14th August, 2020, with a view to resolving all pending issues so as to maintain industrial harmony.”

Pharmanewsonline reports that this makes about the fifth strike action embarked upon by different groups of healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Recalled that National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria, NARD, embarked on a nationwide strike on 15 June; followed by that of Ondo State doctors on 24 June over unpaid allowances; then Cross River Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Sunday 5 July, went on strike also, and doctors under the umbrella of Medical Guild also had their own share of the strike action.