Protesters demand payment of wage arrears and compensation while working with dangerous diseases
Doctors in Nigeria’s public hospitals began an indefinite strike on Monday, demanding regular payments of salaries and compensation from the government. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported this.
“The strike is nationwide and indefinite,” said National Association of Medical Practitioners president Wilav Okuayeswi. – “We are appealing to the authorities to honour the agreements made on the payment of arrears of wages as well as compensation when dealing with dangerous diseases. We are also demanding the payment of benefits to the families of doctors who have died from [the effects of] the coronavirus infection.”
The National Association of Trainee Doctors unites university graduates who are attached to various public hospitals and undergo compulsory traineeship there. A total of 16,000 health workers are members of the association. In all, 42 000 doctors work in the Nigerian health sector.
This is the fourth strike by members of the trainee doctors’ association this year.