Resident Doctors suspend strike in Kaduna

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, has suspended its six-day warning strike.

The President of the chapter,Dr Josiah Yakubu, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Monday in Kaduna.

Yakubu said the suspension followed an emergency congress on Saturday, series of meetings and interventions particularly by the national and state leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

He said work would resume on Tuesday at the hospital by 8:00 a.m while other Residents Doctors at the hospital would resume by 10:00 a.m.

Yakubu added that the congress stated that since the commencement of their industrial action, the Secretary to the State Government had stepped into the situation to arbitrate on behalf of the state government.

According to him, the leadership of theNMA had a follow-up meeting at the instance of the secretary to the Kaduna State Government.

” This was unlike our first meeting where unfortunately some of our members were issued with letters of termination of appointment as resident doctors.

“Some others were given warning letters, with a notice of intention to terminate their appointments.

” We have come to understand that the action was unilaterally taken by the management of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital,” he said.

Yakubu said the meeting with the medical association, which lasted for about two hours, enabled both parties to appreciate the issues of concern
He said, “They highlighted the possible solutions towards reaching an amicable resolution of the industrial disharmony.

“This was in such a manner that the doctors are not shortchanged and that healthcare service delivery in the state is not compromised.”

Yakubu said that the state government had accepted and acknowledged the veracity of all concerns and demands of the doctors and had made commitment towards addressing them.

He added, “The secretary to the state government made an appeal of a two-month duration to enable the government practically initiate and resolve these concerns of manpower and remuneration of doctors in the state as demanded.

“A cost implication of the transition from CONMESS 2014 to CONMESS 2024 had been drafted and submitted to the SSG for onward submission to the Governor for consideration.

“A Memorandum of Understanding was jointly drafted to this effect, which the SSG, Chairman, NMA Kaduna State, NARD President, President, ARD Kaduna and President, ARD BDTH co-signed it.

“The meeting ended with an expectation of these developments to be communicated to the congress of ARD Kaduna and ARD BDTH for appraisal.”
He added that the leadership of NMA and NARD had also made commitment to follow up the entire process closely until all the demands were satisfactorily met.