Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have resumed work across the country after suspending their two-month-old strike on Monday.
After the industrial action, activities are beginning to pick up in some hospitals.
The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Professor Adetokunbo Fabamwo told Channels Television that patients were being attended to in various departments, including clinical areas.
Meanwhile, NARD President at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Hassan Oluwafemi, is optimistic that his members will no longer be forced to embark on a reoccurring strike in the near future.
He explained that the resumption followed the directive by the association’s national leadership for the resident doctors to return to their duty post, a situation that has been applauded by patients.
“Our people are fully back to work following the directive of the National Executives of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors telling all resident doctors across Nigeria to resume,” he said.
“If you go to different parts of the hospital, you will see that our people are fully on the ground and we are here to do what we know how to do best. Patients are happy that we are fully on the ground because we constitute the major workforce in the hospital.”
In neighbouring Ogun State, resident doctors are also back at their duty post attending to patients at different wards at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, the state capital.
FMC Chief Medical Director, Professor Adewale Musa Olomu, welcomed the development, asking NARD and the Federal Government to continue to put the people’s interests first.
“I went round this morning to see the doctors at their duty post attending to patients. The patients were so numerous, actually, they have suffered quite a lot,” he said.
“But they were all around, the doctors were around. I went to almost all the clinics in the hospital and I was extremely happy that they are back at their duty post.”
On the expectation of the patients, the CMD said the patients are optimistic they will continue to receive medical services, while boosting the economy of the hospital.
