Doctors Suspend 10 days of Strike
Doctors suspend their 10 days of strike because the federal government has taken steps to meet some of their demands as regards their welfare.
There is a huge sigh of relief following the suspension of the nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) that started on the 1st of April, 2021.
Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, the NARD President stated that on Sunday a meeting was held and the decision to suspend the strike was taken. The strike was called off because the federal government had met some of their demands and both participants were able to come to an agreement on Friday the 9th of April.
A resident of Abuja named Mrs. Chioma Ezeugwu, complimented the doctors for calling off the strike and encouraged the federal and state governments to do everything necessary to ensure there is continuous peace in the health sector.
Mrs. Ezeugwu noted that the strike happened at a bad time considering the impact of the outbreak of coronavirus and the difficuties average Nigerians were struggling with.
She further said that calling of the strike is a huge relief because some people had to take their relatives from the hospital back home. But now that the strike is called off they can take them back to government owned hospitals that still costs less that private owned hospitals.
Mrs. Noma Agbenson, another resident in Abuja, commended the doctors for making decisions in the interest of Nigerians above admist other considerations by calling off the strike.
“This is great news for Nigerians because a lot of people can’t afford the high cost of health services in private hospitals.”
Furthermore, Okhuaihesuyi explained that some of the doctors’ demands that were met include the following:
- The cancellation of bench fee by House Officers.
- Payment of those in GIFMIS and their integration into Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS) within the next one week.
- A promise to work on salary insufficiency for House Officers within 48 hours.
He however stated that the strike has only been suspended for four weeks and that the doctors will resume the strike after four weeks if the government fails to grant their requests.
According to him, doctors working in isolation centers resumed work on Saturday the 10th of April, whereas the others will resume on Monday the 12th of April .
The indefinite strike happened on April 1 after the expiration of the 60-day ultimatum given to the federal government to meet their demands.
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