The Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka in Anambra, has suspended the indefinite strike it embarked upon June 23.
The consultants said the decision to suspend the strike was taken at their emergency meeting where they considered the unsavoury effect the strike was having on their patients.
In a letter signed by Dr Chukwudi Okani and Prof. Obiora Ejiofor, Chairman and Secretary respectively, MDCAN directed its members to return to their duty posts on July 8.
According to MDCAN-COOUTH, arising from our emergency meeting which took place at the Histopathology Auditorium Complex, COOUTH, Amaku, Awka on July 5, the congress among other things resolved as follows:
“That the indefinite strike we embarked on June 24 is suspended with effects from July 8 and that MDCAN members are by this letter directed to resume work at 8am.
“We took the decision considering the most difficult situations our patients are going through by our industrial action.
“That MDCAN shall not hesitate to resume the industrial action if government reneges on its promises of taking our teaching hospital forward,” it stated.
The consultants urged the Chief Medical Director (CMD) to ensure that all salaries owed doctors were paid as soon as possible.
MDCAN also called for immediate resolution of the issues raised by Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the hospital to ensure that the procreated industrial disharmony was addressed permanently.
“The CMD is expected to do the needful to ensure that salary owed doctors are paid without further delay.
“That the CMD should as a matter of urgency address the issues raised by the resident doctors so as to put a permanent stop to the lingering impasse at COOUTH,” it stated.
Dr Basil Nwankwo, CMD of COOUTH confirmed the resumption of MDCAN to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying “I have received their letter.”
NAN reports that resident doctors at the teaching hospital are still on strike they embarked upon on May 13.
