Resident doctors at the Bayelsa Government-owned Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) Okolobiri, have suspended their indefinite strike for three weeks.

It would be recalled that the NDUTH chapter of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) continued the strike after the national leadership of resident doctors called off the strike and directed members to resume work on June 22.

Dr Oru-Oru Inetsol, President of NDUTH chapter of ARD, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Friday, that the decision to return to work was taken by the ARD Executive on Thursday evening.

He said that the state government agreed to negotiate with the doctors and opened a window of dialogue to iron out their grievances, adding that both parties were making progress.

“We resolved to suspend the strike for three weeks while negotiations continue, and we have restored full services and normalcy is gradually returning.

“Our decision was due to the good faith shown by the government team led by the Deputy Governor and Speaker of the State Assembly and the commitment they gave us so we resolved to give them the benefit of doubt for three weeks,” Inetsol said.

He said the labour dispute did not affect the fight against coronavirus as resident doctors deployed to the COVID-19 isolation centres were working during the strike, following the goodwill shown by the government during the negotiations.

NDUTH hosts the 100-bed COVID-19 isolation centre located on the outskirts of Yenagoa.

The rising confirmed cases of the virus to 184 in Bayelsa, with 131 active cases, 41 recoveries and 12 deaths, with less than 200-bed isolation capacity, raised concerns of an impending crisis in the days ahead. (NAN)

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