The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday resumed work nationwide following 64 days general strike embarked upon by its members.
Recall that the NARD on August 2 declared a nationwide strike to press home its demands from the Federal Government.
Among the demands of the NARD was the delay by the Federal Government in disbursing the Medical Residency Training Funds to resident doctors.
The association also decried the undue hardship its members on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System platform were facing due to the delays in payment of their salaries ranging from three to seven months.
The President of the Association, Dr Godiya Ishaya, in an interview with our correspondent, said the strike had been suspended with effect from 8am on Wednesday.
He said, “All our chapters have resumed today (today); we are not giving a timeline to the Federal Government to attend to our demands. In six weeks’ time, we will review the progress of our engagement with them; the engagement is a continuous process
“We are meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Employment today (Tuesday) to sort out the issue of the case at the Industrial Court and the ‘no work, no pay order’ issued by the Minister, Dr Chris Ngige.
In Abuja, resident doctors on Wednesday resumed at various government institutions following the suspension of their industrial strike action.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, the spokesperson for the hospital, Kayode Olomofe, confirmed that the resident doctors resumed duties.
“They all resumed today. I don’t have a number currently but majority of them resumed today,” he said.
At the National Hospital, Abuja, it was observed that resident doctors resumed.
Similarly, the spokesperson of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Michael Atiga, told our correspondent that the resident doctors who constitute a larger part of the hospital work force resumed work.
“They all resumed today and we are happy to have them,” he said.
In Ogun State, normal medical and health care services returned on Wednesday at the Federal Medical Centre Idi-Aba Abeokuta.
The Resident Doctors had been on strike two months ago to press home their demands for improved working conditions and payment of some outstanding entitlements.
Visiting the hospital premises on Wednesday, our correspondent observed that few patients who thronged the centre were attended to by both medical and health care practitioners.
The Emergency centre of the hospital was filled to the brim with patients who were being attended to by doctors and health officials of the hospital.
The branch NARD President, Dr Oluwabusi Adebiyi , added that the association only agreed to work for six weeks to which it is expected that the government meets its demands.
Also in Kaduna, normal medical activities resumed in various Federal Government owned hospitals.
Our correspondent who monitored the resumption of work by the doctors in Kaduna, noted that life has returned to the National Eye Centre, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, and the Federal Neuropyschiatric Hospital, Barnawa. Punch
