By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna & Ebele Onuorah
Lagos — Barely 24hours after striking resident doctors and other health workers at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos, NOHL, called off their protracted strike, full healthcare services are expected to resume today.

The strike, which paralysed activities at the specialist hospital widely acknowledged as the busiest orthopaedic hospital in the country was suspended yesterday.

It took the intervention of officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja before an amicable agreement could be reached between the disputing parties.

The medical doctors under the Association of Resident (ARD) Igbobi Branch, were protesting what they described as non payment of 2009/2010 promotional arrears and inappropriate placement of Senior Residents as stipulated by the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS) and poor condition of the examination rooms. However, the action took another dramatic twist when other health workers under the auspices of Joint Action Committee of Health Professionals (JAC) resumed a three-day warning strike to press home their demands.

They were also demanding the payment of arrears, and skipping of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) 10.

Speaking to Vanguard in Lagos, the President of the Igbobi ARD, Dr. Itakpe Shopwekhai who confirmed the suspension of the strike said it was in the interest of the suffering patients and as a mark of respect for the minister who had waded into the crisis.

Shopwekhai further confirmed that their demands have been met half way adding that they (doctors) could not afford to keep the strike protracted in the detriment of their training.

His words, “It is not right for us to keep the strike protracted since they hospital management has met our demands half way. We cannot afford to allow our patients to continue to suffer. We decided to call it off because of our patients, our training and the intervention of the minister.”

He further stated that management had agreed to keep them on the appropriate steps as well as improve the situation at the hospital. “We are resuming full services immediately.”

In a chat with Vanguard, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Wahab Yenusa who also corroborated his views, said they have resolved the differences and normal services have resumed.

Giving details on how the problem was resolved, Yenusa stated that four officials of the ministry of health were sent down from Abuja to Lagos to broker peace between the management and the workers.

On some of the resolutions reached, he hinted that the issue of skipping CONHESS 10 was also resolved as the officials from the ministry of health were able to convince the workers that there will be no more skipping of CONHESS 10 as the Salary and Wages Commission had announced before now that those erroneously promoted can keep it but there will be no more skipping from level 9 to 11. (Skipping of CONHESS 10 means promotion from 9 to 11 instead of 9 to 10).

He explained that “No body can jump from level 9 to 11 because every grade level si attached to a post. If they skip, it is tantamount to double promotion.” He however commended the doctors for their understanding and pledged that his administration would continue to protect the interest of all workers at the health institutions.