Taraba resident doctors back to work after 2 months’ strike

The Taraba State chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) on Monday suspended its two-month-old strike.

Resident doctors in the state had on December 24, 2020, embarked on an indefinite strike over what they termed the government’s inability to honour and implement the MOU signed in September 2020.

Announcing the suspension of the strike at a press conference in Jalingo, Gabriel Ahmed, president of the association in the state, said the decision was reached after several meetings, dialogues and discussions with relevant stakeholders in the state.

According to him, the congress of the association agreed to suspend the strike and support efforts at curtailing the increasing cases of Covid-19 and Lassa fever within the state and its environs.

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“Also due to public outcry and appeal from well-meaning stakeholders and traditional rulers to consider the citizens and people of Taraba State, the Association deemed it fit to suspend the strike.

“Governor Darius Ishaku has met some of the demands made by the association, while some of the demands are receiving attention,” Ahmed said.

He said based on the above premises, the strike action had been suspended with effect from 12:00 pm on Monday, February 22, 2021.

“All ARD members are hereby directed to report to their various stations by 8.00 am tomorrow, February 23,” he said.

Resident doctors in Taraba embarked on strike last December over lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors, lack of running cost to the secondary healthcare facilities, non-implementation of 100 percent adjusted CONMESS, and new minimum wage.

Other complaints of the doctors were non-payment of COVID-19 inducement and hazard allowance for all healthcare workers in the state, demand for the commencement of internship training at state specialist hospital for medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory scientists.

This is even as the doctors listed adoption and implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 to enhance and improve the quality of healthcare services to the people of Taraba State as well as increase manpower in the health sector as issues for the strike.