Resident doctors at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka, have embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press for improved working conditions.
The industrial action, which commenced at 12 noon on Thursday, was announced in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) COOUTH on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by ARD COOUTH President, Dr. Joy Okwumuo, and Secretary, Dr. Chukwubuike Ifekudu, said the strike became necessary after several failed efforts to engage the Anambra State Government on outstanding welfare issues.
The doctors’ demands include:
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Full payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) as promised from January.
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Settlement of arrears and implementation of the upward-revised CONMESS salary structure.
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Payment of accoutrement, rural posting, specialist, and teaching allowances.
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Recruitment of more doctors to address severe manpower shortages that have left resident doctors overworked.
The association insisted that the government must not only release the MRTF but also gazette it to prevent recurring issues of non-payment.
“ARD COOUTH made several efforts to engage the government since the beginning of this year to ensure the realisation of the promises made that led to the suspension of previous industrial action on October 4, 2024,” the communiqué read.
It added that despite a 10-day ultimatum issued by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on September 1, the government failed to respond positively, leaving the doctors with no choice but to down tools.
The doctors warned that if their demands are not met after the seven-day warning strike, they may be forced to declare an indefinite strike.
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They called on hospital management, stakeholders, and the general public to prevail on the state government to meet their demands, stressing that the situation could otherwise cause “regrettable disharmony” in Anambra’s only state-owned tertiary health facility.
