Saturday, September 13, 2025 - There was chaos in many public hospitals around the country yesterday as members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) commenced a five-day nationwide warning strike over alleged government’s failure to meet their demands.
The few consultants who reported for duties were overwhelmed
by the number of patients seeking attention, some critical.
Hundreds of patients were stranded as the few health workers
available were stretched to their limits.
The patients expressed frustration at the slow pace of
service. Some admitted they had little choice but to wait, given the strike’s
impact on most other facilities.
In some other public hospitals, services were skeletal.
An example is the Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja which
looked like a ghost town yesterday.
Although nurses and other health workers reported for
duties, the atmosphere was subdued, with only a few patients to attend to.
Consultants at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja
and the National Hospital, Abuja attended to patients, but the queues were long
and the process slow.
The Pediatrics Unit, Family Medicine, and Surgical
Outpatient Department brimmed with patients.
A consultant, who spoke to The Nation on condition of
anonymity, confirmed that in-patients were still being managed.
“Right now, it is an understatement to say the consultants
are overwhelmed.
“If the strike continues, the management might be forced to
discharge patients earlier than usual.
“The pressure is mounting, and unless there is a quick
resolution, things will get worse,” she warned.
The situation was similar at the University College Teaching
Hospital Ibadan.
The doctors who reported for duty offered skeletal services.
In-patients whose conditions appeared stable were discharged
while others requiring attention were referred to consultants.
A patient at the General Out-Patients (GOP) Clinic, Mr
Kazeem Ajibade, said a few patients were attended to early in the morning while
others were sent back around 8 am; the time fixed by the doctors to commence
their strike.
President of NARD, Dr. Tope Osundara, said yesterday that
the association was left with no choice after the federal government failed to
act within the 10-day ultimatum given it to pay the outstanding 2025 Medical
Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
He said the strike would continue until the association’s
National Executive Council (NEC) reviews the government’s response to its
demands and decides on the next line of action, if the warning strike runs its
full duration.
“Unfortunately, the minimum demands were not met within the
given extension of 24-hour period, and the strike commenced this morning as
directed by the NEC of the association,” he said in response to a text message
from The Nation.
The situation appeared particularly worse at the Ladoke
Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Teachjng Hospital, Ogbomoso where
doctors have been on strike for the second month running.
Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State
Chapter, Dr Happy Adedapo, said nothing has been done by the state government
to resolve the matter.
Dr Adedapo said: “It is resident doctors who are on strike.
But we are also watching the space.
“Let me put it on record that the doctors in the employ of
Oyo State Government, working at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
(LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, have been on strike for about two months
now, and up till now, it is so pathetic that no government official has deemed
it worthy to even call them for a meeting either for negotiation or anything.
“They have not had any official communication from the
government to even know their grouse and how to resolve it. So, that goes to
show that our political class doesn’t care about us.
“But at the appropriate time, I believe the NMA will take a
position about the welfare of our members in LAUTECH Ogbomoso.
“We have said and done so many things. We have appealed, we
have lobbied, we have adopted advocacy moves, social capital, everything within
our disposal to ensure that the matter is resolved, but it is sad that the
government has not been forthcoming. It is sad. We will soon take a stand on
the matter.”
Efforts to reach top officials of the Federal Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare as well as the Medical and Dental Consultants’
Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) through calls and text messages were
unsuccessful yesterday.
However, to avert further escalation, the Federal Government
inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee on August 9 to oversee the
implementation of agreements reached with health sector unions.
The committee was chaired by the Minister of State for
Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Izaq Adekunle Salako, and included
representatives from critical institutions such as the Ministries of Labour,
Finance, and Employment; the Office of the Accountant-General; the National
Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and the Budget Office.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare,
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who led the government’s delegation, stressed that
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regards health workers as essential to the success
of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appreciates all Nigeria’s
health workers, whom he regards as key to realising the Renewed Hope Agenda for
the health sector. His administration has made significant investments in
infrastructure, equipment, services, and welfare, and will do even more,” Pate
said.
The Minister added that the government’s priority was to
restore stability in the health sector and sustain industrial harmony,
recognising that frequent strikes not only disrupt medical services but also
erode public trust in the system.
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