Regina Otokpa 
The crisis in the health sector may take another dimension as the Federal Government has invoked the “No Work No Pay” policy on the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), effective from Monday. A memo from the De-partment of Hospital services on behalf of the Minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, which was sighted by newsmen on Friday, directed Chief Medical Officers (CMDs) and Managing Directors (MDs) of all Federal Tertiary hospitals nationwide to begin the implementation, stressing that the directive extends to any other health worker outside NARD participating in the ongoing strike.
The memo dated 26th August and signed by the Director Department of Hospital Services, Dr. Adebimoe Adebiyi, said the directive which was an offshoot from an advisory earlier received from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, was in line with provisions of the 2004 Trade Dispute Act, CAP. T8 The memo reads: “The Ministry is in receipt of a letter from the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of labour and Employment (FMoL&E), informing the Ministry of the laws governing the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), and the need to immediately apply the provisions of Section 43(i)(a) of the trade Dispute Act on “Special provision with respect to payment of wages during strikes and lock outs” known in labour parlance as ‘No-Work No- Pay’ with effect from Monday 2” August when the Strike was commenced by NARD members.