he National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, has suspended its six-day warning strike.
This was confirmed by the chapter president, Dr. Josiah Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
Dr. Yakubu explained that the decision to suspend the strike followed an emergency congress held on Saturday, as well as a series of meetings and interventions, particularly from the national and state leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).
He added that normal duties would resume at the hospital on Tuesday, with senior doctors reporting by 8:00 a.m., and other resident doctors resuming work by 10:00 a.m.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, has suspended its six-day warning strike following interventions by key stakeholders, including the Kaduna State Government.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, the chapter president, Dr. Josiah Yakubu, explained that the suspension came after an emergency congress held on Saturday and a series of meetings, particularly involving the national and state leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
Dr. Yakubu disclosed that since the strike began, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) had stepped in to arbitrate on behalf of the state government. He added that the NMA leadership later held a follow-up meeting at the instance of the SSG.
“This was unlike our first engagement,” Yakubu noted, “when unfortunately, some of our members were issued letters of termination, while others received warning letters with notice of potential dismissal.” He stressed that these punitive actions were unilaterally taken by the hospital’s management.
Yakubu said the recent meeting with the NMA, which lasted approximately two hours, allowed both parties to fully appreciate the underlying issues and discuss practical solutions to resolve the industrial dispute.
“The goal was to ensure that resident doctors are not shortchanged, and that healthcare service delivery in the state remains uninterrupted,” he said.
He added that the Kaduna State Government had acknowledged the legitimacy of all the concerns raised by the doctors and expressed a strong commitment to resolving them.
“The Secretary to the State Government appealed for a two-month period to enable the government to begin implementing sustainable solutions, particularly concerning manpower and remuneration challenges facing doctors in the state,” Yakubu concluded.
Work is expected to resume at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital on Tuesday, with senior doctors returning by 8:00 a.m. and other resident doctors by 10:00 a.m.#newsafro_
