Several Nigerians faced a lot of difficulties in public hospitals for the past two months, a period during which doctors engaged in strike action after complaints of poor pay and lack of insurance cover.
The two-month-long industrial action which had almost crippled the country’s health sector comes to an end with the medics’ union stating that they are giving the government another chance to meet their demands.
For many Nigerians, the announcement of the suspension of the doctors’ strike comes as a big relief, but people may have to wait a few more days. The National Association of Resident Doctors said its members will all be back on duty by Wednesday.
The strike’s suspension follows the intervention of the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association, the umbrella body for all doctors. It said it will help the resident doctors push for the resolution of their grievances with the government.
An arbitration court in the capital had ordered the doctors to go back to work two weeks ago but the medics appealed the judgement, BBC reports. The government had threatened to punish them if they failed to return to duty. It wants to enforce a no-work-no-pay policy against them and employ new doctors.