Health workers at the National Hospital, Abuja began full, indefinite strike after a warning action to push the hospital management to implement conditions of service, drawn up in 2010, failed.

Three unions, including nurses, midwives and senior staff had refused to work for four hours a day since Tuesday in protest, as some of the hospital staff have worked for some 14 years without the conditions of service.

Otonoku Matthew, head of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria at the hospital, told Weekly Trust Thursday that its "congress met [Thursday] morning to proceed on full strike beginning 4PM [Thursday]."

A meeting was summoned between the representatives of the workers and the Federal Health Ministry yesterday.

"If the talks go in our favour, we convey the outcome to congress. If it is the opinion of congress to call off the strike, we will call it off."

As at yesterday, the outcome of the meeting was still uncertain, but working capacity at the National Hospital dropped on the first day of the indefinite strike.

Only doctors remained on duty, stretching to administer to patients on admission.