Lara Adejoro
Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Friday, suspended the strike they embarked upon on July 26, 2023.
President of the association, Dr. Emeka Orji told our correspondent in a chat that the resident doctors would resume work at 8 am on Saturday.
“We just suspended the strike. Work to resume at 8 am tomorrow (Saturday). We will review progress made in two weeks,“ he said.
PUNCH Healthwise reported that the doctors initially suspended their planned nationwide daily protest scheduled for Wednesday, August 9, 2023, to give the Federal Government 72 hours to meet some of its urgent demands before the strike is suspended.
Resident doctors list conditions to suspend strike, nationwide protest – Healthwise (punchng.com)
According to Dr. Orji, while speaking on why the protest was called off, “We had a fruitful meeting yesterday (Tuesday) at the Villa and with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, so it will not be good to have that level of meeting and the next day, we hit the streets to protest. It will look as if there is an ulterior motive behind our demands.
He hinted at the fact that the association will decide to continue or call off the strike by Friday, August 12.
Recall that NARD embarked on an indefinite industrial action on July 26, to press home their demands.
Resident doctors begin indefinite strike today – Healthwise (punchng.com)
The doctors are demanding the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, the immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement; the payment of skipping arrears; the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS; the payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors; the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, among others.
Dr. Orji had earlier told PUNCH Healthwise that the release of the circular for the one-for-one replacement of clinical staff, and the payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund were the minimum conditions to call off its indefinite strike.
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