Resident Doctors Calls Off Strike After Two Days

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has suspended its nationwide warning strike, bringing relief to patients and health facilities after two days of disrupted services.

The strike, which began on Friday morning, was called off on Saturday night, with doctors directed to resume duty today.

The association said some of its demands had been addressed while the government pledged to look into others. The decision, according to its leadership, was taken in good faith to ease the burden on Nigerians who rely on public hospitals for care.

During the two-day action, consultants and other health workers were left to handle the workload in government hospitals. Services were stretched thin, and many patients experienced long delays in accessing treatment.

The strike was driven by a list of unresolved welfare and financial issues. Doctors had demanded payment of the outstanding 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, five months of arrears from the 25–35 percent salary review, and long-standing backlogs of allowances.

Other demands included the release of the 2024 accoutrement allowance arrears, timely payment of specialist allowances, and restoration of the recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. They also urged the National Postgraduate Medical College to issue pending certificates to qualified members.

Resident doctors further pressed for the implementation of the 2024 revised salary structure, resolution of welfare disputes in Kaduna State, and better treatment of their colleagues at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

While the suspension of the strike has restored normalcy in public hospitals, attention now shifts to how the government will address the pending demands to prevent another disruption in the health sector.