By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Resident doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and the Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration have resumed work following a month-long nationwide strike.
The resident doctors had embarked on an indefinite strike on November 1 following directives from the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) after the government failed to meet their demands.
The doctors had called for a 200 per cent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, full implementation of new allowances proposed since July 2022, immediate recruitment of clinical staff, and the removal of bureaucratic delays hindering the replacement of existing doctors, among other demands.
President of UCH NARD, Dr Gboyega Ajibola, said the NARD National Executive Council met on November 29 to reassess the situation, noting that the government had met most of their immediate and short-term demands.
Ajibola stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the government, outlining the association’s demands and the timelines for their implementation.
He said: “Based on the satisfactory terms of the MoU, the NARD NEC decided to suspend the industrial action and allow the government four weeks to execute the agreed points.”
Ajibola explained that, in line with NARD tradition, each centre held a congress on December 1 to brief members on the developments. Following the briefing, centre presidents instructed all members to return to their duty posts.
The UCH NARD president confirmed that all resident doctors at UCH resumed work on Monday, December 1.
Similarly, the President of ARD-FCTA, Dr George Ebong, said resident doctors in FCT resumed work on Monday and the suspension of their strike following the approval of their demands by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The doctors, however, warned that they would not hesitate to resume industrial action if the FCTA fails to implement the approved demands within four weeks.
Dr Ebong said: “ARD-FCTA has suspended its strike for four weeks with the hope that the approvals from the minister will be implemented.”
The ARD-FCTA is an association of doctors practising in 14 district and general hospitals, including the Department of Public Health under the FCTA.
The one-month strike across federal teaching hospitals, specialist centres, and many state-owned hospitals disrupted and paralysed medical services across the country, causing delays in patient care and increased pressure on the remaining healthcare staff.
