To review progress in two weeks
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its indefinite nationwide strike which began on July 26, 2023.
As a result, the association has directed its members across the country to resume work from Saturday, August 12 by 8 am. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the association will review the progress made in terms of the implementation of their demands in two weeks’ time.
The demands of NARD include: Review of their Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), issuance of a circular by the Federal Ministry of Health for replacement of doctors and nurses that have left the system with new ones, and the payment of salary arrears, improvement in hazard allowance by state governments, among others.
However, due to the intervention from the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas, and the leadership of the National Assembly, the doctors suspended the protest and the picketing of the Federal Government’s institutions on Wednesday, August 10, 2023.
After deliberations, the NEC of NARD decided to suspend the strike for two weeks, after which it would reconvene to review the progress made.
In a chat with The Nation, the President of NARD, Dr. Emeka Orji explained that it decided to suspend the strike because it had seen the government begin the process of implementing some of its demands, one of which is the approval of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
Credit: The Nation
