Amidst the ongoing indefinite strike embarked on by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the Federal Government of Nigeria has taken significant steps to address the concerns raised by medical and dental doctors in the federal public service.
In a bid to find common ground and provide much-needed relief to the medical professionals, the government has approved the payment of a peculiar allowance of twenty-five thousand naira (N25,000).
The allowance will be granted to doctors working in hospitals, medical centers, and clinics and will be drawn from the overhead budget.
The decision to implement the peculiar allowance was disclosed in a statement by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Salary and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta.
This development comes as a positive stride towards mitigating the challenges faced by the medical community amidst the ongoing strike action.
Furthermore, the Federal Government has also issued circulars that address some of the key demands put forth by the striking doctors.
One of the vital circulars concerns the Review of CONMESS (Consolidated Medical Salary Structure) and indicates a twenty-five percent increase for doctors falling under CONMESS one to six (1-6), and a thirty-five percent increase for those categorized under CONMESS seven (7).
Similarly, another essential circular focuses on the Review of CONHESS (Consolidated Health Salary Structure).
It specifies a twenty-five percent increase for health workers in the CONHESS one to fourteen (1-14) salary grade, and a thirty-five percent increase for those under CONHESS fifteen (15).
Notably, the government has also taken into account the hazardous conditions faced by doctors working outside of hospitals.
