Resident Doctors Suspend Nationwide Strike

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Friday evening announced the suspension of its nationwide strike.

Naija News gathered that members of NARD embarked on a strike to press home their demands from the federal government.

Some of the demands of the resident doctors include payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF); immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS).

Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard and skipping allowance.

The President of NARD, Emeka Orji, in an interview with TheCable said that the strike was suspended on Friday evening, adding that the resident doctors would resume work at 8 am on Saturday.

He said, “We just suspended the strike. Work to resume at 8 am tomorrow. We will review progress made in two weeks.”

The federal government in the wake of the strike said it had approved the payment of an accoutrement allowance of N25,000 per quarter to medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres and clinics in the federal public service.

The government also approved a 25 percent increase in the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS), however, NARD rejected the allowance and pay increase, calling it “paltry”.

The association in its reaction announced that its members would go on peaceful nationwide protests from August 9.

But the federal government averted the planned nationwide protest after a meeting with the leadership of the association.