Doctors in Nasarawa State have suspended their five-day warning strike on Monday.
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Peter Attah, disclosed this in Lafia the state capital, adding that they suspended the strike at an emergency congress on Monday in Lafia.
He said their action was to ameliorate the plight of the masses in Nasarawa State.
The doctors began the five-day warning strike on July 5, to press home their demands on welfare issues.
The chairman, however, said the association has given the government another two-week ultimatum to address their demands.
“The new ultimatum starts today, Monday to end on July 24.
“If by July 24, the government still refuses to meet our demands, we will call for congress and decide on the next line of action, Dr. Attah added.
He said their demands include implementation of promotions for doctors and annual salary increment for over nine years, implementation of N30, 000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments.
Others are implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance circular and the accrued 19 months’ arrears, removal of high burden of taxation and inadequate manpower and work overload.
He said that 25 doctors who were employed in 2014 at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia and the State Hospital Management Board had not been promoted for nine years.
The NMA Chairman appealed to the public to impress on the state government to meet their demands in order to avoid further industrial disharmony in the health sector.
“These issues had lingered for long and we gave the government enough time, notices, and ultimatums yet government delegations negotiating with us were not sincere.
“We can no longer stop our congress from insisting on going on an indefinite strike, should the government fail to meet our demands by the expiration of the new ultimatum,” he added.
He, therefore, asked all medical doctors in the employment of the state government to resume work and await further directive from the leadership of the association.
