The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced the suspension of their 16-day old nationwide strike over the federal government’s failure to meet their demands.
NARD president, Emeka Orji disclosed this on Friday evening, adding that the resident doctors would resume work at 8 am on Saturday.
“We just suspended the strike. Work to resume at 8 am tomorrow. We will review progress made in two weeks,“ Orji said.
Members of the association had embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26 over the failure of the government to implement their demands..
Parts of the demands 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.
In the wake of the strike, the federal government 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).
But NARD rejected the allowance and pay increase, calling it “paltry”.
Subsequently, the association 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.
