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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its nationwide strike after 17 days.
The medical doctors said the decision was to enable them review progress made in two weeks’ time. NARD president, Dr. Emeka Orji, said: “We just suspended the strike. Work to resume 8am tomorrow (Saturday). We will review progress made in 2 weeks.”
NARD had commenced a nationwide strike on Wednesday morning, July 26, 2023, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, to press home the demands of its members. Some of the demands include a 200 per cent salary increment, replacement of doctors who have resigned, and payment of the 2023 residency training funds. NARD president had lamented that resident doctors were being overworked due to inadequate manpower and that they cannot continue to wait for the government to do needful.
The doctors had threatened to embark on a nationwide mass protests and picketing of the Federal Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as well as all federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide, with effect from Wednesday, August 9, 2023, to press home their demands, which according to them, have been largely neglected by the Federal Ministry of Health and the federal government.
However, after a meeting with the Senate on Tuesday night, NARD suspended the protest and gave the government 72 hours from Tuesday night, to address the urgent demands of the doctors.
The doctors threatened that if the government fails to meet the urgent demands, which include the replacement of doctors who have left the country, the NEC of the association will reconvene and give further directives by Friday August, 11, 2023.
(leadership.ng)
