 Welcome back. Right now, we're going to our first hot topic and that is about doctors that now are asking for an increment in their salaries. It used to be 200% they were asking for. Now it's 550% salary increase and they're threatening or they're threatening strike action after two weeks from the 5th of July 2023. So they had already given, had a warning strike, five day warning strike and then there was a time that they gave to government that time as it lasts and the government still according to them did not do anything. Now they are giving the government another two weeks beginning from the 5th of July otherwise they are going to go on strike and what they're asking for like I said is 550% salary increase Well, we are being joined by Dr. Nanna Faiwale who will be talking with us on these issues that the National Association of Resident Doctors have raised. Good morning and welcome to the show doctor. Good morning. Okay. Thank you for having me. Yes, 550% salary increase before we go into whether that is possible or not. What are really the issues? Let's hear from the horses mouth why this agitation is coming up at this time. Okay. Thank you again and thank you viewers out there. As we all know, these are the current issues and just as you recounted last month, the month of May 8th went on, in fact the warning strike from the 17th and on the 19th we had the Constellation meeting headed by the then Honorable Minister of Health for the end of the month of labor and employment and Honorable, His Highest Excellency and Dr. Crete Sengige and when a memorandum of an outstanding was signed and this was based on some of the demands that we raised and the time lines put to them but unfortunately as we speak and this is about each week down the line, nothing had changed from what was signed and government had completely reneged on its commitments and towards our members and I believe that is not correct. And that is the reason why we met again on the 5th of July to reappraise the issues that were raised and it was expected that nothing has changed from where we left off eight weeks ago and so we had no choice than to reissue and refresh and automate some hoping that government will probably do the need for it now. What were in this document, this memorandum of understanding you had with the government? What are the things that they agreed to that they reneged on? They agreed on a couple of things and based on our demands and some of which involved outstanding arrears, keeping arrears from 2014 to 2016, arrears of salaries, consequential adjustments of minimum wage as well as other allowance of our members that were being omitted and also circular on one for one replacement of clinical staff, essentially doctors and nurses who are in the government system because of the death of the manpower and because of the brain drain that is no need to anybody in this country now and then we also spoke about the fact that our certificate has been downgraded by NENCA and NENCA Council of Nigeria and those ones are things that really do not need any commitment other than financial commitment other than to sit down and then address some of these things and also implementation of a 200% adjustment review of the comments and salary structure just to take us back to where we were when these comments was implemented and some 10 years ago and we had to do all of these and without getting any response as of today. OK, so the last correct me from Ron, but the last time you spoke with the government official, it was Quisingige of the former administration, right? Yes, you're correct. Has there been any attempt by this government to speak with you or by your association to speak with this government directly, aside from the strikes? Yeah, thank you. We have made a frank effort at meeting the current government officials with being in Abuja and President and Secretary and other NLC members that have been in Abuja on countless number of times and making attempt to seeing government officials in order to address this issue. But of course, we met with great logs and even the initial counter we had actually not going through again, we understand, we can't understand why that is on, what is happening and because of the fact that we had the one strike because proud to the integration of this current administration and that was enough sensitization and also I praised this at our May OGM, where we also pleaded with the government that we are also sharing because we're supposed to make decision from that May OGM that was hosted by Leipzig University University. We're supposed to make a concrete decision, but we appeal to our members that we should share all our grievances and give this government some ample time to look into the issue. But then, unfortunately, we didn't get any response that we actually looked for. Well, how would you respond to a suggestion by some Nigerians that perhaps your association should wait for this administration to announce its ministers and then you channel your grievances through the minister for a more proper and official discussion that will be more fruitful as against just striking and seeming to be beating the air? Well, yeah, it is easier said than done and I think this struggle is just not about us. I think it's about the common man in the street and I think this is the reality in our teaching hospital now, our hospital is that we have this problem and it's getting worse by the day, patients haven't gotten to wait for hours so you haven't been counseled and a whole lot of these things are taking on heads, workers, the nurses, the doctors who are seen as not being there. Whereas people are bumped out and these are the issues and currently we're doing that. The fact of the matter is that we're still having the same government taking over from the same government. So the issues are not new. The brain is not new. All of them, all the major candidates during the electronic campaign campaign with the fact that they want to address the debt of brain drain and the health sector, especially of clinical staff. And I think that in all should also have spawned them because if they are prioritized health, like in education health, if those are prioritized, I think a very sensitive government will probably pay adequate attention to head and in fact the last constituent meeting that was headed by the then Honorable Minister of Labor and Employment, all the permanent circuitries of the major concerned ministries were in attendance. So those are the most senior civil servants and they are still there. They never left. So they are still there. So whoever is interfacing the current government with us can go through the permanent circuitry and get the system sorted. OK, but 550% is quite a lump sum. We know how Nigerians cried when there was a rumor that members of the National Assembly were asking for 114%. Yes, we understand that politicians get a lot of money, more than a lot of civil servants. Yes, but 550% for just workers when the national minimum wage of 30% or 30,000 Naira has not been paid by a lot of states. And even the federal government is struggling to pay the minimum wage. Workers now are asking for 200% and then 200,000 as a minimum wage. And the health workers are asking for 550%, which will run to a lot of money. How do you think that is realizable? Is that not really demanding without a human face? Thank you so much. If you have followed our argument over this issue, we've been very scientific about it. I would don't just throw figures out without putting it through some rigor in terms of trying to assess the situation. And our assessment, even as of the time we made the request as of July 7, 2022, we round the numbers and the variables that we used were the forest exchange, the PMS rate as of the time, about 10 years ago when this situation was done, the inflation rate and so many others. First thing generally, when the subsidy was removed, it further indicated that it took us to something over 550% increment or even take us to where we were 10 years ago. But then, if you really communicate very well, we're very organized. We don't fit up with our demands. We still maintain that what we demand from the government is still a minimum of 200% and not 550%. We just had that at the preamble that when we round the figure, following the removal of subsidy, it took us to something over 550%. All right, so a few days from now, you're going to go back on this strike. How long will this strike be this time? Any idea? Well, we are not strike mongers. The reason why we're doing it, we have given countless and repeated automations. And the reason why we're doing it is just to give ample time. Let government come to the table and let us have a discussion around this. If we can solve these things that can be sorted within the next time given as a part of one for one replacement, the president of the committee on breathing had concluded his sitting as far back as February. The head of service was supposed to release a circular to all the various institutions so that they can start taking up and replacing those that are leaving the system to prevent the worsening of brain burnout. But then this hasn't been done, doesn't mean anything. It just has been concluded, the report has been submitted. Issues circular to it, it hasn't been done. So we're not looking up for us to go and strike if government does the needful. But if they don't, then we may not be, when we're left with no choice, guided by our neck in taking a decision. So I will not be able to say what exactly the decision of neck would be. And that would be in the next two weeks. Okay, in the next two weeks, like she was asking, we would have loved to know if it's going to be an indefinite strike or it's also going to be a two-week strike or another warning strike and all that. At least when it has a name, we know how long it might stay and what alternatives Nigerians will have. But you doing essential duties, one would expect that there will be less strikes and all that. Don't you have any other option? Must it be a strike? Have you explored all other options and what were there if it will now come back to be a strike? Thank you again. Unfortunately, we had always, we're open to negotiation, we're open to discussion and we're always a billion people. But unfortunately, we have only half. Oh, well, technical glitch. And government, right? Yeah, just wrap it up. Let's just wrap it up. It would appear that it would. I don't want to use that if sign on engagement with option, we really do not help. Can you hear me? Yes, just wrap up. Just wrap up, yes. Just as we've said, we have been called essential worker, but we've not been given the preference that such appellation deserves and that is very worrisome. Even recently I was reading currently that US, US, Canada, they are also further softly, they are making it more easy, easier rather for doctors and non-systems and other clinical staff to even come to the system. I will talk about the push and push issues. And if you are making it even difficult to get the most basic needs, then the people at the receiving end of this brain drain are also making it easier for the clinical staff to come. It gives us a whole lot of worry because we just don't place copyright in this country. Well, Dr. Fayawale, we do hope that the government will respond positively to your demands and we find a solution because we can't bear to not have doctors be around to take care of us. It's too essential, it's too critical to have you leave the scene. We do hope that you'll find solutions to these or the government will meet your demands and we hope that you too will meet them halfway at least so that it can be practicable enough to find solutions to whatever your demands might be. And we do hope that it's not just going to be about their salary increase, but a total, a holistic turnaround in the health system because it is really very depressing to go to hospitals and see Nigerians lying on the bare floor, seek Nigerians in need of immediate health attention. Some of them being turned back even, no space even on the corridor for them. So these are some of the things that we hope to see change as you get the needed attention in that sector. Thank you so much, Dr. Faiowale for your time. Thank you for having me. Okay, Dr. Nana Faiowale is the Deputy Editor National Association of Resident Doctors at NAAD. So we'll take a short break and when we return, we'll continue with other issues, stay with us.