Just in: Resident doctors suspend nationwide strike, after two months

Resident doctors have suspended their nationwide industrial action after about two months of staying out of hospitals in protest over poor welfare package from the government, their employers.

The decision to return to work was taken at their emergency National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Sunday.

The National Association of Resident Doctors in a communique issued at the end of the meeting said they resolved to go back to work beginning from 8am on Wednesday October 6.

Earlier, during the meeting, the doctors had a very long debate over how to proceed with the dispute with the government, resulting in a vote.

When the issue of sustaining the strike was put vote, 56 of the NEC members voted in favour of suspending the strike while 28 supported the continuation. Five other members were absent.

The doctors’ strike had almost crippled the country’s health sector.

The leadership of NARD is expected to address the media today (Monday) on the decision to suspend the strike and to give the modalities and new timelines for further engagement with the federal government team.

The resident doctors had gone strike to demand the implementation of the Memoradum of Agreement they reached with federal government and to protest the alleged non-payment of arrears of salaries and allowances to some of their members.

The doctors also sought the immediate release of their residency training fund and for the placement of their members in the appropriate salary structure.

After series of negotiations failed to resolve the dispute, the federal government took the matter to the National Industrial Court for resolution.

However, NARD had come under pressure from several quarters to suspend the prolonged strike action, which has had a biting effect on Nigerians.

The Nigerian Medical Association had led the new national executive of NARD on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, saying the continuation of the strike was no longer necessary.