Hospitals in Nigeria’s capital were paralysed on Monday as the Association of Resident Doctors under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) began a seven-day warning strike.
Consultants and nurses were forced to stretch beyond capacity as patients queued helplessly at facilities including Maitama, Garki, Asokoro, and Kubwa District Hospitals.
Patients Left in Limbo
At Maitama District Hospital, nurses admitted patients were being managed but no new cases were admitted. At Garki, administrators considered discharging patients early to reduce risk. In Kubwa, consultants handled emergency cases only, leaving dozens turned away.
“It means we will be doing the work of doctors, but there is no choice,” a nurse told IDNN.
Demands of Resident Doctors
The striking doctors are demanding:
- Payment of arrears from one to six months owed since 2023.
- Settlement of 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
- Recruitment of new staff to cover manpower shortages.
- Payment of hazard allowance arrears.
- Clear timelines for promotion and conversion to consultant cadre.
- Renovation and equipping of hospitals to world-class standards.
They warned of burnout, miscarriages, and mental health crises among colleagues working 30 patients per day and performing multiple surgeries without relief.
FCTA Response
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is expected to meet the doctors today (Tuesday) in Abuja. His aide Lere Olayinka confirmed the minister is “on top of it.”
However, residents fear that unless immediate commitments are made, the strike could escalate beyond a one-week warning, deepening Abuja’s healthcare crisis.
A System Under Strain
Frequent strikes by health workers highlight chronic underfunding, erratic salary structures, and brain drain in Nigeria’s public health system. Patients are often forced into expensive private hospitals, further compounding economic hardship.
This is IDNN. Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.