Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its nationwide protest earlier scheduled to commence today (Wednesday) August 9.
Gatekeepers News reports that this comes after the federal government’s representatives met with the doctors on Tuesday over their ongoing strike action and the planned protest.
NARD president, Emeka Orji, had said the outcome of the meeting would determine if the protest would go on.
After the meeting Orji said, “the protest has been suspended. We review again in 72 hours”.
It was also learnt that the association took the decision after a meeting with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and other principal officers of the upper legislative chamber.
Orji said, “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 as we meet.”
On his part, Akpabio assured the doctors that the President Bola Tinubu administration will accede to their demands.
The Senate President said, “I thank you on behalf of the senate for honouring us with your decision not only to cancel the planned public protest but to also call off the strike in the interest of the suffering masses.
“Your demands are well noted and let me assure you that as soon as a minister in charge of health is appointed, the senate will work with him or her to expeditiously address all your grievances.
“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is doctors friendly and that explains the large number of medical practitioners he has appointed into his cabinet.”
On July 26, the resident doctors embarked on an indefinite strike over the failure of the government to implement its demands.
Some of the demands include payment of the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF); immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS).
Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard and skipping allowance.
Amid the strike action, the resident medics had announced that its members would embark on peaceful nationwide protests from Wednesday, August 9.
NARD said the protests would involve picketing of the federal ministry of health, the office of the head of the civil service of the federation, and the federal and state tertiary health institutions across the country.
