Striking members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have been ordered by the National Industrial Court to go back to work immediately.
The Court’s vacation judge, Justice Ibrahim Galadima, in a ruling in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the doctors to cease their industrial action with immediate effect.
Justice Ibrahim Galadima, also ordered that NARD to resume duties forthwith pending determination of the pending Motion on Notice.
Justice Galadima made the order sequel to an ex parte application filed by Frank Tietie, counsel to the applicant, Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights and Association of Women in Trade & Agriculture.
In the application, the applicant had prayed for an interim order of the court directing the NARD, being a provider of the essential services of health necessary to the fundamental right to life, to immediately cease its strike action and resume duties forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The court after granting the prayer also fixed Oct. 8, for the hearing of the substantive suit.
Joined as co-respondents in the motion are the Minister of Health, Hon. Minister of Labour & Productivity and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
NARD embarked on the strike on Sept. 7 to resolve issues bothering on group life insurance for doctors and other health care workers.
Part of their grievance was also payments of death-in-service benefit to next of kin/beneficiaries, universal implementation of the medical Residency Training Act in all federal and state hospitals.
