Patients and medical staff across Nigeria heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday following the suspension of a planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
At Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Specialist Hospital, patients and staff expressed relief at the reprieve.
Even before the suspension of the short-lived strike, services at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital were largely uninterrupted.
At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, medical activities continued even as the strike loomed, although outpatient services were briefly affected.
The NARD was set to begin an indefinite industrial action on Tuesday over delayed salaries, unpaid allowances, and other welfare concerns affecting its members.
However, following high-level government interventions, including engagements by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, NARD, on Tuesday morning, announced it was suspending the strike, giving the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to resolve outstanding issues.
In a joint statement signed by NARD President, Dr Muhammed Suleiman, Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity Secretary, Dr Abdulmajid Ibrahim, the association said the decision followed extensive deliberations by its National Executive Council.
The statement expressed “cautious optimism,” noting that the government’s engagement signalled a renewed commitment to addressing resident doctors’ welfare concerns.
The statement read, “The NEC, in recognition of the ongoing high-level interventions and as a demonstration of goodwill, hereby suspends the previously declared total, indefinite, and comprehensive strike action.”
However, NARD warned that unresolved issues, including delayed promotion and salary arrears, non-disbursement of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund, backlog of 19 months’ unpaid professional allowances, and the halted implementation of the revised Professional Allowance Table, must be addressed within the two-week ultimatum.
NARD also reiterated its demand for the immediate reversal of the Federal Government’s decision to halt the implementation of the reviewed Professional Allowance Table, which has been a major source of contention.
The association stressed that the Federal Government must take “concrete, measurable, and verifiable steps” within the two-week ultimatum to address all outstanding demands.
It warned that failure to meet these conditions would lead to the immediate resumption of the suspended strike without further notice.
NARD, however, urged members nationwide to remain calm, united, and resolute while awaiting the Federal Government’s response, emphasising that the patience of its members is limited.
“The NEC shall reconvene immediately upon expiration of the ultimatum to review the level of compliance and determine further appropriate actions in the best interest of its members,” the statement added.
At Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Specialist Hospital, patients and staff expressed relief at the reprieve.
A consultant at JUTH, who requested anonymity, said, “We are always overwhelmed with work any time the resident doctors are not on duty due to strike.
“They’re the foot soldiers at the hospital, and if they’re not around, our capacity to attend to patients becomes seriously limited, except in emergency cases.”
Mrs Tina Badungs, a patient at JUTH, said, “The last time I was here, we stayed without anyone attending to us. Thank God the strike has been called off. I hope the government meets their demands so they won’t abandon their patients again.”
President of the Association of Resident Doctors at JUTH, Dr Garos Jakhim, confirmed compliance with the national directive. “Yes, it’s true we have called off the strike. My members in Plateau are fully supporting NARD’s efforts and have resumed work. We are happy with the result that the government listened, engaged in dialogue, and brought solutions,” she said.
At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, medical activities continued, although outpatient services were briefly affected.
Philomena, a relative of a patient, said, “It’s good that the strike has been called off. If not, most of the patients admitted would have been discharged after a few days to seek treatment elsewhere.
“I think the time has come for the government and the doctors to find a solution to these unending strike actions.”
A doctor at UBTH, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “We embarked on the strike in compliance with our union directives. The concern of the union is to get what is due to its members, not to monitor if the strike disrupted activities.”
At Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, services were largely uninterrupted.
President of the hospital’s Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Ayodeji Olatayo, said, “Actually, locally, we had not really joined before the strike was suspended because we were still trying to engage with state authorities.
“Being a state government-owned institution, we buy some time to see local discussions to a conclusion before joining. There has been normal activity in the facility today.”
