The ongoing effort to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic in Abia State, may suffer a setback, as the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) chapter, of the Association of Resident Doctors, has joined the ongoing national strike embarked upon by its national body.
Abia as at June 15, 2020 recorded 173 positive cases of coronavirus.
Nnamdi Erondu, secretary general, Association of Resident Doctors, ABSUTH chapter, who disclosed this Monday in an interview with newsmen in Aba, stated that they joined the strike to press for the release of their 15-month salary arrears owed them by Abia State government.
He vowed that the chapter would not return to work unless Abia government paid salary arrears owed its members.
“In ABSUTH, the entire hospital staff, including resident doctors are owed 15-month salary arrears.
“The last salary we received was in February 2019 and whenever we make inquiries, they will use government language to tell us that something is being done about it.
“So, the parent body in its wisdom decided to include us and fight on our behalf.
“It will be very foolish of us in Abia, if we don’t join the national body in a strike that they are embarking on, simply because of our collective plights,” he stated.
Erondu argued that the plight of Abia resident doctors is pitiable, noting that in June 2019, the hospital called off a strike they embarked upon to demand 13-month salary arrears, but instead of the debt reducing, it kept rising.
He explained that part of their local demand includes payment of COVID-19 palliatives, which the government is giving to others, stopping harassment of medical doctors on duty by security agencies and poor remuneration of members.
The chapter on Monday, joined its parent body, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to protest against the nonchalant attitude of the government towards their safety and welfare.
Aliyu Sokomba, national president of the association, noted that their grievances for the strike in the face of Coronavirus pandemic, included the government’s refusal to fund residency training programmes.
He explained further that they were demanding the recall and payment of all salary arrears of 26 members sacked by the Kaduna State government, payment of all salaries of all others owed across the country and to equip them with hazard protection kits.
