Resident doctors in Nigeria have commenced an indefinite strike despite meeting with a federal government delegation to resolve pending issues.
The doctors, under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said there was no significant achievement following the ultimatum given to the federal government to meet the association’s earlier demands.
The doctors strike comes at a time when Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is away in the UK on a medical routine checkup.
“We commence strike 8 a.m. today while we are still trying to evaluate the federal government’s offer,” the president of the association, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, told journalists Thursday morning.
The NARD had threatened to commence an ‘indefinite strike’ on Thursday if the Nigerian government fails to meet its demands including non-payment of allowances.
Mr Okhuaihesuyi said the resolution was reached after NARD’s extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday.
He said the ultimatum given to the federal government to meet the association’s earlier demands will expire on March 31, with no significant achievement.
On Wednesday, a government delegation led by labour minister Chris Ngige met with the doctors to avert the strike.
The minister had appealed to the aggrieved doctors to consider the damage their withdrawal of services would cause the country’s health system already stressed by the coronavirus.
By Abel Ejikeme
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