Lagos — Doctors and nurses in Nigeria Friday called off their 18-day strike action, called to protest against the government's failure to offer better conditions of service, according to report by the state-owned Federal Radio Corporation Network news.

FRCN quoted Dr. Dominic Osaghae, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, as announcing that the strike had been called off, and directing doctors and nurses "to resume work forthwith."

Suspension of the strike action came after a meeting of the National Executive Council of the NMA, which reviewed the government's response to their demands.

Most Nigerians use government or public hospitals because the fees there are cheaper than those charged by private hospitals, although standards in the latter are, in most cases, higher.

Doctors in government hospitals withdrew their services on May 28, following their ultimatum to government to increase their on-call duty allowance, shift duty allowance, as well as rural posting, hazard and administrative allowances.

Government on Wednesday announced several incentives costing 5.87 billion naira (about US$51.94m, at the rate of $1=113 naira) this year. This amount is now covered in a supplementary appropriation bill submitted by President Olusegun Obasanjo to the National Assembly last week.

The strike paralysed activities in government-run hospitals across the country, forcing people to move their relatives out of such hospitals into private institutions.

But while the public hospitals may now open their doors, it is uncertain how long they will remain open, as pharmacists and medical technologists have served notice of their intention to go on strike as well.

Grouped under the umbrella of the Nigerian Union of Pharmacists, Medical Technologists, and Professions Allied to Medicine, they describe as "discriminatory" the new allowances given by the government to health workers. They have demanded that government redress the imbalances, or risk having them withdraw their services.