The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka, has suspended its seven-day warning strike.
The suspension was announced in a statement jointly signed by the ARD-COOUTH President, Dr. Joy Okwumuo, and Secretary, Dr. Chukwubuike Ifekudu, on Saturday in Awka.
The resident doctors had embarked on the strike on Thursday to demand improved working conditions.
According to the statement, members were directed to resume duty from 8:00 a.m. on Saturday following the state government’s approval of their key demands.
The doctors said the decision was prompted by Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s approval of the release of the Medical Residency Training Fund, alongside a 100 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) by the end of September.
Other concessions included allowances for house officers, rural postings for previously excluded departments, accoutrements, and specialist allowances from CONMESS 5 step 5 for resident doctors. The governor also approved payment of accumulated arrears, including the outstanding 2024 hazard allowance.
The association reaffirmed its readiness to work with the hospital’s Chief Medical Director to implement the new agreements. It also called for urgent recruitment of resident doctors and house officers to address staffing gaps, stressing that brain drain remained a pressing challenge.
Additionally, ARD-COOUTH renewed its demand for the accreditation of the Family Medicine, Radiology, and Anaesthesiology departments to enable members to sit for professional examinations.
The association expressed appreciation to Governor Soludo, the Head of Service, Commissioner for Health, COOUTH management, and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Medical Association and National Association of Resident Doctors, for their support during the negotiations.