Kaduna Resident Doctors Suspend Six-Day Warning Strike

Resident doctors at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna have officially suspended their six-day warning strike. The announcement was made by Dr. Josiah Yakubu, President of the hospital’s chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.

According to Dr. Yakubu, the decision to suspend the strike followed an emergency congress held on Saturday, as well as several meetings and interventions—particularly from the national and state leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

He stated that normal activities at the hospital would resume on Tuesday, with consultants resuming work at 8:00 a.m. and resident doctors by 10:00 a.m.

Dr. Yakubu explained that since the industrial action began, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government had intervened to mediate on behalf of the state. A follow-up meeting was held at the request of the secretary, leading to constructive dialogue between the parties.

“In contrast to our initial meeting—where some members were issued termination and warning letters—the recent discussions were more conciliatory,” Yakubu said. He added that the disciplinary actions had been taken unilaterally by the hospital management.

The meeting with the NMA leadership, which lasted over two hours, helped clarify the issues at hand and identify possible solutions aimed at restoring harmony and ensuring that healthcare services in the state remain uninterrupted.

Yakubu noted that the state government acknowledged the doctors' grievances and made a firm commitment to address them. Among the steps taken was the submission of a cost analysis for transitioning from the 2014 to the 2024 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which has been forwarded to the Governor for consideration.

A Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and co-signed by key stakeholders, including the Secretary to the State Government, the NMA Chairman in Kaduna, and representatives from both the state and hospital chapters of NARD.

The outcome of the meeting will be presented to the congresses of ARD Kaduna and ARD BDTH for review. Meanwhile, the NMA and NARD leadership have pledged to monitor the implementation of the agreement until all demands are fully met.