CITIZENS COMPASS – Resident doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have suspended the nationwide strike they embarked upon to press for their demands from the federal government.

Emeka Orji, NARD president, told journalists that the strike was suspended on Friday evening, adding that the resident doctors would resume work at 8 am on Saturday.

“We just suspended the strike. Work to resume at 8 am tomorrow. We will review progress made in two weeks,“ Orji said.

The association embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26 over the failure of the government to implement the demands of its members.

Parts 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.

In the wake of the strike, the federal government said it had approved the payment of an accoutrement allowance of N25,000 per quarter to medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres and clinics in the federal public service.

The government also approved a 25 percent increase in the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS).

However, NARD rejected the allowance and pay increase, calling it “paltry”.

Subsequently, the association announced that its members would go on peaceful nationwide protests from August 9.

But the federal government averted the planned nationwide protests after a meeting with the leadership of the association.