- The decision comes amid the Federal Government’s directive to enforce “no work, no pay” against striking doctors
- The doctors had planned a daily peaceful protest if their demands were not met
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced the suspension of its scheduled nationwide daily protest after a closed-door discussion with senior Senate officials on Tuesday.
Emeka Orji, President of NARD, shared this development during an interview with journalists.
Orji, however, emphasized that a reassessment will take place within the next 72 hours.
“We met with the Senate president, majority and minority leaders and Whip. So, the planned protest slated for Wednesday has been suspended and we will review it again in 72 hours,” he noted.
Originally, the striking doctors had planned to initiate a daily peaceful protest starting from Wednesday if their demands were not met by the government.
This decision comes in response to the Federal Government’s instruction to the Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of federal tertiary hospitals to implement the “no work, no pay” policy against the striking doctors.
The doctors initiated an indefinite industrial action on July 26, citing the government’s failure to address their demands.
Among the requests made by the doctors are the implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy for healthcare workers, discontinuation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s downgrading of membership certificates from West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical Colleges, prompt payment of salary arrears, implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, introduction of a new hazard allowance, and the incorporation of the Medical Residency Training Act into national legislation, among other demands.