Resident doctors at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna have suspended their six-day warning strike following high-level interventions and negotiations with government and medical stakeholders.
Dr. Josiah Yakubu, President of the hospital’s chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), confirmed the suspension in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.
He said the decision came after an emergency congress held on Saturday, along with a series of meetings involving the national and state leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
According to Yakubu, full work at the hospital will resume on Tuesday, with doctors in administrative roles resuming by 8:00 a.m., while other resident doctors will return by 10:00 a.m.
He noted that since the strike began, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government (SSG) had intervened to mediate on behalf of the state, unlike in the past when the hospital management acted unilaterally.
“During our initial strike, some of our members received termination letters, while others were issued warning letters. We later learned that these actions were taken solely by the management of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital,” Yakubu explained.
He said a more recent meeting, which lasted about two hours, allowed both sides to understand the key issues behind the strike and explore possible solutions.
“The discussions focused on ensuring that resident doctors are not shortchanged, while also safeguarding healthcare delivery in the state,” he said.
Yakubu revealed that the state government acknowledged the legitimacy of the doctors’ demands and had committed to addressing them. The SSG requested a two-month period to begin implementing solutions, particularly regarding manpower shortages and updated remuneration.
As part of the resolutions, a cost analysis for transitioning from the old CONMESS 2014 salary structure to the updated CONMESS 2024 has been submitted for the Governor’s approval.
A Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and signed by key stakeholders, including the SSG, the NMA Chairman (Kaduna State), and the presidents of NARD and its state chapters.
Yakubu added that the NMA and NARD leadership had pledged to closely monitor the implementation process to ensure that all agreements are fulfilled.
