Resident Doctors under the agies of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended the nationwide industrial action.
Recall that the doctors embarked on indefinite strike, following their demands to resolve issues bothering on group life insurance for doctors and other health care workers, payment of death-in-service benefit to next of kin/beneficiaries, universal implementation of the medical Residency Training Act in all Federal and state hospitals, immediate review of the hazard allowance of healthcare workers and payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowance.
The President of NARD, Dr Aliyu Sokomba confirmed this on Thursday, adding that the union will review the progress made in talks with the Federal Government in two weeks, Channels TV reports.
The resident doctors and Federal Government had on Wednesday reached an agreement in a bid to end the industrial action.
During the meeting which almost took the entire day, NARD had disclosed that it will liaise with the executive council with a view to calling off the strike.
Both parties had been in talks to resolve the issues which led to NARD declaring an end to the country-wide strike.
The Federal said an additional N8.9 billion has been approved to pay up a large chunk of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all health workers across the nation.
This was revealed by Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment on Wednesday.
Ngige stated that the implementation of the payment of the Special Hazard and Inducement Allowance has been concluded, stressing that this has been cash-backed and the mandate sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria for payments to start with effect from September 9.
According to him, this will bring the total disbursement to about N288 billion.