Doctors’ Strike: Nigerian government resumes negotiations with NARD, others

The meeting between the striking members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and other key parties within the nation’s medical profession, as well as and representatives of the Nigerian government, is to continue on Saturday.

The warring parties had returned to the negotiation table on Friday after earlier efforts collapsed, even as the government’s ploy to seek a court order nullifying the strike also failed to yield positive results.

But the meeting on Friday was also inconclusive, according to the President of NARD, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi.

Mr Okhuaihesuyi, who disclosed this on the phone to a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter on Saturday morning, said the failure of some concerned government representatives caused the deadlock.

He, however, said his union was committed to addressing the areas of conflict as soon as possible for the sake of innocent Nigerians, who may have suffered in one way or the other since the strike started.

He said the negotiation would resume on Saturday with the hope that all contradictions are resolved once and for all.

“We deliberated on some of the issues but there was no headway yet largely because some key stakeholders were not in attendance.

“We will continue the meeting by 11 a.m today (Saturday). Hopefully, we will reach a resolution to move the health sector forward,” he said.

This newspaper had reported on Friday how the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, and the association of Nigerian doctors in the Academics, and NARD members were being engaged on the doctors’ strike and other issues affecting the nation’s health sector.

The minister of labour and empowerment, Chris Ngige, had hinted of the meeting Thursday evening after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to brief him on the challenges within the country’s health sector.

He said the meeting was at the instance of the Medical Elders’ Council Forum, which he noted, was concerned about the crisis in the sector.