Striking doctors in Nigeria’s public hospitals have suspended their two-month-long industrial action.
The strike, by resident doctors who are training to be specialists, had almost crippled the country’s health sector.
The medics’ union said it is giving the government another chance to meet its demands.
They withdrew their services over complaints about poor pay and allowances as well as a lack of insurance cover.
For many Nigerians, the announcement of the suspension of the doctors’ strike will come as a big relief, but people may have to wait a few more days.
The National Association of Resident Doctors said its members will all be back on duty by Wednesday. This should allow those who have travelled away from their place of work to return.
The strike’s suspension follows the intervention of the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association, the umbrella body for all doctors. It said it will help the resident doctors push for the resolution of their grievances with the government.
An arbitration court in the capital had ordered the doctors to go back to work two weeks ago but the medics appealed the judgement.
The government had threatened to punish them if they failed to return to duty. It wants to enforce a no-work-no-pay policy against them and employ new doctors.
