August 12, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), has suspended its nationwide strike after 17 days.
National President of the Association, Dr Emeka Orji, disclosed this to newsmen on Friday, in Abuja.
“We just suspended the strike. Work will resume by 8 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 12). We will review progress made in two weeks”, he said.
THEWILL reports that the doctors had on July 26, declared a nationwide indefinite strike, following the federal government’s failure to meet its demands.
Some of the demands include a 200 percent salary increment, replacement of doctors who have resigned, and payment of the 2023 residency training funds.
NARD president had lamented that resident doctors were being overworked due to inadequate manpower and that they cannot continue to wait for the government to do needful.
The doctors had threatened to embark on a nationwide mass protests and picketing of the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide, with effect from Wednesday, August 9, 2023, to press home their demands, which according to them, have been largely neglected by the Federal Ministry of Health and the federal government.
However, after a meeting with the Senate on Tuesday night, NARD suspended the protest and gave the government 72 hours from Tuesday night, to address the urgent demands of the doctors.
The doctors threatened that if the government fails to meet the urgent demands, which include the replacement of doctors who have left the country, the NEC of the association will reconvene and give further directives by Friday, August 11, 2023.
But Orji, on Friday, said the nationwide strike has been suspended and work will resume fully by Saturday, August 12.
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