The Nasarawa State council of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has suspended its five-day warning strike.

Peter Attah, NMA chairman in the state, told journalists at a briefing that the decision to suspend the strike was reached at an emergency congress on Monday in Lafia, the state capital.

The NMA chairman said the decision to suspend the strike was to ameliorate the plight of the masses in Nasarawa State.

NMA had embarked on a five-day warning strike from July 5 to press home their demands on welfare issues.

The chairman, however, explained that the association gave the government another two-week ultimatum to address their demands.

“The new ultimatum starts today, Monday, to end on July 24.

“If by July 24, the government still refuses to meet our demands, we will call for congress and decide on the next line of action,” Mr Attah added.

He listed some of their demands as non-implementation of promotions for doctors and annual salary increments for over nine years, non-implementation of N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

Others are non-implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance circular and the accrued 19 months arrears, high burden of taxation, inadequate manpower and overworking.

“These issues had lingered for long, and we gave the government enough time, notices, ultimatum, yet government delegations negotiating with us were not sincere.

“We can no longer stop our congress from insisting on going on an indefinite strike should the government fail to meet our demands by the expiration of the new ultimatum,” he added.

He directed all medical doctors working with the state government to return to their offices and await further directives from the association’s leadership.

(NAN)