Resident Doctors Suspend Five-day Warning Strike, Resume Work

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its five-day nationwide warning strike following an agreement with the Federal Government.

Naija News reports that the National President of NARD, Dr. Emeka Orji, stated that the strike was called off following the promise that the association’s demands would be addressed.

In a chat with Vanguard on Sunday, Orji said work resumes by today (Monday) in all Federal and State Teaching Hospitals as well as other hospitals where resident doctors are trained.

He said: “Strike has been suspended and work resumes at 8 a.m., tomorrow (today). Progress made will be reviewed on June 2. 2023, during our general meeting where the next line of action will be decided.”

Recall that the doctors under the auspices of NARD began a five-day warning strike in public health facilities across the federation last week Wednesday.

Some of the demands of the doctors include the immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and the abolishment of the bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who leave the system.

Others are the immediate infrastructural development in public hospitals with a subsequent allocation of at least 15 percent of the budgetary provisions to health in line with the Abuja declaration of 2001 and immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, to the tune of 200 percent of the gross salary of doctors among others.