The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has called off its warning strike after the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike.

The President of the Association, Dr. George Ebong, in a statement on Friday, said the FCTA under Wike had met their demands.

Recall that on Wednesday, the doctors grounded all FCTA-owned hospitals in Abuja over unpaid arrears and other demands.

However, in an update on Friday, Dr. Ebong revealed that its members have started receiving alerts of the 6-month salary arrears.

He also said Wike had approved and ordered immediate payment of the accoutrement allowance that was owed; approval of the medical residency bonding to 2 years; approval of the immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to cushion the severe shortage of manpower; and approval and immediate payment of locum doctors and other health workers that were owed.

Ebong, therefore, noted that with the intervention by Wike, doctors in the FCT are requested to resume work on Saturday, 25 January, 2025.

He added that the intervention had put an end to the impending indefinite shutdown of hospitals in Abuja.

Ebong, however, urged the minister to meet other of its demands to avert future strike action.

“On behalf of the executive members and the entire supreme congress of the Association of the Resident Doctors, FCTA, I, Dr. George Ebong deeply appreciates the Honourable Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his prompt and timely intervention in meeting our demands, thereby ending our warning shutdown and averting a looming timeless shutdown.

“The Honourable Minister intervened, approved, and ordered the immediate payment of the 6 months of arrears of the salaries owed to doctors and other health workers; the Medical Residency Training Funds (2024) that were owed; Approval of the immediate payment of the accoutrement allowance that was owed; Approval of the medical residency bonding to 2 years; Approval of the immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to cushion the severe shortage of manpower; Approval and immediate payment of locum doctors and other health workers that were owed.

“With this timely intervention by the Honourable Minister, every resident doctor is expected to resume his/her duty post tomorrow by 8:00 hours.

“We also humbly plead with the Honourable Minister to put a mechanism in place to avoid a repeat of this anomaly.

“While we sincerely appreciate the goodwill of the Honourable Minister, we are also hopeful that our other demands will be attended to in due time, such as the payment of the hazard allowance, the upgrading and the rehabilitation of our healthcare facilities, the conversion of post part 2 to consultant cadre, among others,” the statement reads.