The Federal Government has said it will commence the payment of June hazard allowance to medical personnel handling the COVID-19 pandemic next week.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, made this known on Thursday, after a meeting with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors in Abuja.
Ngige stated that notwithstanding the shortfall in revenue, the government would start the payment with six hospitals while expecting more funds.
This was contained in a statement entitled, ‘FG to pay medical workers’ hazard allowance next week,’ signed by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan.
On the residency training for doctors, the minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Budget Office of the Federation, working in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Finance, had rectified the problem in the budget while the processing would commence soon.
Ngige said, “Teaching hospitals and medical centres had been directed to submit to the Ministry of Health, the list of names of their personnel who had some hitches in receiving their payments, the names would then be forwarded to IPPIS (Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System) from there.”
He added that the issue of shortfall in payments had also been dealt with as the names of the affected persons would be compiled and forwarded to the ministry of finance.
Ngige revealed that the case of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital had been amicably resolved, with the Chief Medical Director bringing back the interdicted resident doctors.
According to him, the two factions thrown up by the crisis in that local chapter of NARD had merged peacefully.
“Elections have been conducted to elect an interim executive to man the affairs of that chapter till December 2020, after which a fresh election would hold for a new executive that would take over in 2021,” he explained.
He congratulated the interim government in UPTH headed by Dr Solomon Amadi, and commended the peace committee for brokering peace successfully and the Nigeria Medical Association for coordinating the election.
President of National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, noted that although a few issues were still pending, significant progress had really been made in addressing the concerns of NARD.