Doctors suspend protest, to review strike action
Doctors under the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have called off their strike yesterday while noting that it will review whether or not to continue its ongoing strike action.
The President of the association, Dr Innocent Orji spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast programme yesterday while noting that the industrial action by the association continues.
“Yes, we put on hold the protest that was supposed to start this (Wednesday) morning but the strike is continuing. We will review again in 72 hours; that’s the position of the National Executive Council,” Orji said.
“Our members are suffering. Nigerians are suffering too. When you don’t have the right number of doctors in the hospital, there is no way it is not going to affect the healthcare service delivery system. And nobody has come out to tell us that what we are saying is not true.”
Orji said the government on its own set up a ministerial committee that came up with a guideline since February this year but has not been circularised.
He said the circular would help to reduce the brain drain as doctors would be immediately recruited upon the completion of their education.
The Association President also alleged that the government has not shown commitment to meeting the demands of the Association.
The suspension of the planned protest comes after a meeting between NARD executive and that of the Senate-led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
On July 25, 2023 NARD declared a “total and indefinite strike action” over the replacement of doctors who have exited the system and demand that the salary structure of its members be increased by 200 per cent, amongst other demands.
Adressing the media shortly after a closed door meeting on Tuesday with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and other Principal Officers of the Senate, National President of the association, Dr Emeka Innocent Orji, stated “we had a very fruitful meeting with the Senate led by the President of the Senate and from our discussions with them, we are very hopeful that when we table our discussions today before the NEC, something positive would come out.
“From our interaction with the President of the Senate and the practical demonstration he did before us today, we are very confident that there would be light at the end of the tunnel in the next 24 hours.
“Because of the intervention of the President of the Senate, who is the number three citizen and the assurance he has given us, our planned national protest has been cancelled while the decision on the ongoing strike would be taken as soon we meet,” he assured.
