Resident doctors suspend strike after two months

resident doctors

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its nationwide strike after two months.

Members of the association voted in favour of suspending the industrial action during an emergency meeting held on Sunday.

“We’ve officially suspended the strike to resume at 8 am on Wednesday. We made the decision in the wee hours of today. We held an emergency meeting from 5:30 pm on Sunday to the morning hours of today, and the NEC decided that having reviewed the progress made so far, the strike should be suspended,” NARD president Godiya Ishaya told The Cable.

The doctors began the industrial action on August 2 to protest against non-payment of death benefits to families of members who died while treating COVID-19 patients, non-payment of hazard allowance and arrears of salaries of members in various states among others.

The Federal Government had dragged the association to the National Industrial Court in Abuja following a deadlock in negotiation.

In the ruling delivered on September 17, Justice Bashar Alkali also directed parties in the matter to return to the negotiating table, saying no amount of money could compensate for the loss of lives as a result of the impasse.