The striking Resident Doctors have been ordered back to work by a National Industrial Court in Abuja.
In his ruling on, Justice Bashir Alkali held that the resident doctors must return to work to save human lives, which have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other diseases.
The order followed an interlocutory application brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria and Federal Ministry of Health against the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
“The continued and sustained industrial action by the Defendant/Respondent is contrary to public policy and equally endangers the lives of the citizenry,” it added.
Though FG earlier threatened to invoke the no-work-no-pay policy against the Resident Doctors following their refusal to return to their duty posts over alleged irregular payment of their salaries, however, the court, in a ruling on August 23, ordered all the parties to “suspend all forms of hostilities”, pending determination of the suit.
The Federal Government’s lawyer, Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), had moved his motion for interlocutory injunction, and prayed the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant from continuing with the industrial action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
He also prayed the court to compel the members of NARD nationwide to return to their duty posts pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He argued that resident doctors as persons who provide essential services cannot embark on strike and continuing to do so will wreck hardship on citizens.
The resident doctor’s lawyer, Robinson Ariyo, vehemently opposed the application for interlocutory injunction and urged the court to discountenance their application.
He argued that the life of a medical doctor is not less useful than the life an average human being.
He argued that justice must be balanced, not just to the government, but also to the doctors who are the field marshals in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctors in Nigeria’s state-run hospitals have began a strike over pay, insurance benefits and poor facilities as the country faces a third wave of coronavirus.
There are some 42,000 doctors in Nigeria, of whom 16,000 are residents – medical school graduates training as specialists.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), commenced their nationwide strike on 2 August 2021 over unresolved issues with the Federal Government.
The doctors union has previously called work stoppages on similar issues, grounding activities in government hospitals before calling them off.
Doctors have long complained of a lack of beds and drugs in hospitals as well as inadequate protective equipment. Other demands include life insurance coverage, a pay rise and payment of unsettled wages.
