Nurses’, doctors’ strike cripple services in public hospitals across Abuja, Lagos

By: Nike Adebowale-Tambe, Mariam Ileyemi, Oluwakemi Adelagun, Fortune Eromosele & Zainab Adewale

Health services across many government hospitals were disrupted on Wednesday as nurses under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) began a nationwide seven-day warning strike.

The industrial action, which follows the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, has left patients struggling to access health care.

In Lagos, the situation was further compounded by a separate three-day warning strike by doctors under the Medical Guild, protesting salary deductions.

Visits to public health facilities in Abuja and Lagos by our reporters showed disruptions in service delivery, with many outpatient units shut. Patients were turned away in some hospitals, while others had their appointments cancelled or rescheduled.

Disruptions in Abuja hospitals

A visit by PREMIUM TIMES to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, revealed slow medical services as patients waited for hours to be attended to.

Long queues were observed at the General Out-Patient Department, Immunisation Section, Consultation Section, and Surgical Out-Patient Department.

Executives of NANNM were also present to monitor compliance. The NANNM Chairman at the centre, Victor Asu, confirmed that no nurse was on duty.

“I am here today to ensure absolute compliance. Although doctors and other healthcare workers are not on strike, services have become slow, and patients are already complaining.

“We have resolved that no member will attend to patients in the wards or stay with them overnight. Normally, nurses provide 24/7 care, but for now, we are fully on strike,” Mr Asu stated.

Some patients expressed frustration. Abu Isah, who accompanied his father, said they arrived by 8 a.m but had not been attended to as of 10 a.m. Similarly, Mary Akor, who brought her child for immunisation, said the long wait was frustrating.

At General Hospital in Kubwa, wards were left unattended, and patients were discharged prematurely due to the unavailability of essential nursing staff. The Emergency Male Ward was empty, and the paediatric section had dozens of children and their parents waiting.

Many of the weary parents whose faces reflected a mix of anxiety and helplessness refused to leave the hospital despite the slow pace of being attended to by the medical doctors.

Patients lamented that only doctors are attending to the children, making the process slow.

“The government should please listen to these nurses and their demands; this situation clearly shows that even the doctors cannot effectively function without the nurses,” a patient told our reporter.

A doctor at the hospital, who declined to be named, admitted they were overwhelmed.

“Without the nurses, our capacity is extremely limited. We can only offer basic care. Beyond that, our hands are tied,” the doctor said.

Radiology and laboratory services remained functional, but services at the Labour Theatre were severely reduced. One doctor said the last patient had been discharged earlier in the day, and the wards were now empty.

Services grounded in other FCT hospitals

At Wuse District Hospital, the Accident and Emergency unit was empty. A nurse seen at the female ward told PREMIUM TIMES she only came to retrieve valuables.

In the oncology ward of the National Hospital, a patient who did not give her name said they were told not to return to the hospital after today until the strike is called off.

“In this unit, nurses are the key people. They are the ones who give us the drugs. Without them, nothing can move,” she said.

At Maitama District Hospital, patients who came for appointments were either turned back or left frustrated. An attendant at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, Helen Okpei, said the few nurses who reported early left.

“It is the doctors who are attending to patients now. As you can see, the movement is slow because the nurses are not around to assist,” she said.

A woman who brought her baby for a paediatric appointment said her child only received brief vital check before being asked to leave.

At Asokoro District Hospital, pregnant women waited in vain to be attended to. A nurse identified as Janet acknowledged the disruption but stressed that the strike was necessary. “We are the first people patients see. Without us, the system can’t function properly,” she said.

Shortage and neglect

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Baku Janet, unit chairperson of NANNM at Asokoro District Hospital, said she was monitoring compliance and highlighted a severe manpower shortage.

Ms Janet lamented the severe manpower shortage in the system, citing the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of four nurses per patient, compared to the reality in Nigerian hospitals where one nurse may be responsible for 30 patients.

“There is a gross shortage of manpower. I cannot remember the last time the government recruited nurses,” she said.

“In hospitals with over 500 beds, we barely have 100 or 200 nurses. Despite the recommendation from WHO, here, a single nurse handles 30 patients. It’s killing us.”

Joe Akpi, chairperson of NANNM at the National Hospital, in an earlier interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said the strike could escalate if no progress is made in negotiations.

Mr Akpi said nurses constitute over 60 per cent of the workforce in many federal health institutions, and the current disruption is a clear indication of their importance.

Poor welfare, Nurse shortages

According to the union, the strike stems from longstanding concerns about nurses’ welfare, poor working conditions, and the federal government’s reluctance to address their grievances.
Central to the union’s demands is the rejection of a 27 June circular from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), which it said failed to address key welfare issues.

The NANNM is also demanding immediate adjustments to shift duty, call duty, and staff retention allowances. They are also calling for the mass recruitment of nurses and midwives to address severe staffing shortages across federal institutions, as well as the implementation of a 25 per cent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment for nurses in Oyo State.

It further seeks enhanced hazard allowances, particularly for nurses working at the local government level.
The strike is being observed in federal health institutions nationwide, and several state chapters have expressed their readiness to join if negotiations with the government collapse.

Lagos hit by dual strikes

In Lagos, PREMIUM TIMES visited LASUTH, Alimosho General Hospital and Ifako Ijaiye, observing near-total service disruption as both doctors and nurses withdrew their services.

Wuraola Olanrewaju arrived at Alimosho General Hospital for a 10 a.m appointment with a gynaecologist but was turned away by security officers.

“I had to leave work to meet this appointment. It was a futile journey,” she said.

The hospital’s corridors and waiting areas were empty. A worker in the paediatric section confirmed all children had been discharged. Even the pharmacy, usually filled with patients, was deserted.

Similar scenes played out at Ifako Ijaiye Hospital, where patients were turned away at the gate. Non-medical staff confirmed that patients had been discharged and no new ones were being admitted.

Doctors under the Medical Guild, the association of doctors employed by the Lagos State Government, had embarked on a three-day warning strike earlier in the week, protesting salary deductions and unpaid arrears.

PREMIUM TIMES observed disruptions at LASUTH and other facilities on Monday as the strike began.

Some patients said scheduled appointments were cancelled, and essential services were unavailable. While the Medical Guild strike concludes on Thursday, the nurses’ strike is still ongoing.

Doctors’ grievances, NMA Support

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Lagos Chapter backed the doctors’ strike. NMA Chairman, Saheed Kehinde, said the deductions from July salaries, which ranged from N30,000 to N300,000, were sudden, unfair, and done without notice.
Mr Kehinde explained that a similar deduction happened in April but was reversed after negotiations. However, it was reintroduced in July despite assurances.

“The government said Lagos doctors are being paid more than federal doctors, but this is due to Lagos State’s higher minimum wage of N80,000 compared to the federal government’s N70,000,” Mr Kehinde said.

He added that the strike had caused avoidable disruption to health services in the state. According to him, about 70 per cent of public hospitals in Lagos are state-owned.

“If the government returns the deducted money, the strike will be suspended immediately. Discussions are ongoing with the union for possible resolution,” he said.

Irreplaceable roles

Nurses form the backbone of hospital care, providing 24-hour monitoring, drug administration, and emotional support. Experts noted that while doctors diagnose and prescribe, nurses ensure follow-up care.

Their absence leaves routine tasks undone, stretches doctors thin, and increases risks for patients. A 2023 WHO report noted that adequate nursing staff is critical to lowering mortality rates, especially in maternal and child health.

In some Nigerian hospitals, one nurse may be responsible for many patients, hence any withdrawal of services immediately paralyses hospital operations, as the current strike has shown.