The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCT) embarked on a seven-day warning strike on 8 September, citing the government’s failure to resolve long-standing grievances.
In a communiqué signed by ARD-FCT President George Egbong and other executives, the doctors listed lack of manpower, poor welfare, unpaid salaries, unexplained deductions, the psychological toll of long working hours, and the absence of new recruitment in FCT hospitals since 2011 as key issues.
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The strike is scheduled to run until 15 September, after which the doctors said they would review their action based on the government’s response.
PREMIUM TIMES’ checks at health facilities in Abuja on Tuesday showed patients are heavily bearing the brunt of the industrial action, with several departments shut down and only emergency cases being attended to.
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A follow-up visit on Friday, the fifth day of the strike, revealed that skeletal services were still ongoing. Outpatient departments were largely deserted, but nurses, consultants, and a few medical officers were attending to emergencies and critical cases.
Maitama and Asokoro Hospitals
PREMIUM TIMES observed a partial service delivery at both Maitama and Asokoro district hospitals.
In both hospitals, antenatal care (ANC) services were unaffected, but other services were halted.
A pregnant woman who came for ANC at the Maitama hospital, Peace Michael, told PREMIUM TIMES she was aware of the doctor’s strike, but noted it didn’t affect the ANC she came for.
Nwankwo Bright, who accompanied his wife to the hospital for ANC, also said they were being attended to.
“That (strike) didn’t affect my being here because I wasn’t scheduled to meet with doctors. It was the Nurses —those in charge of antenatal care- who attended to us,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the hospital has shut down most services and stopped admitting patients.
At the Asokoro hospital, a researcher at the internal medicine department said the hospital discharged all patients before the doctor’s strike and that there are no patients on admission throughout the duration of the strike.
Uzurame Samuel, who came to get a medical report for her son who is resuming in secondary school, said someone had attended to her.
Mrs Samuel said she gave birth to her two boys at the Asokoro hospital and was surprised at the scanty environment that greeted her on Friday morning.
“When I came, the place was not crowded. I didn’t even know that they were on strike. I was surprised that the place was so scanty. I’m not seeing doctors around like before. I thought they had done some reforms,” she said.
Karshi General Hospital
Unlike the near-empty wards in Maitama and Asokoro, Karshi General Hospital maintained limited operations.
Departments apart from the doctors’ clinics were still running, including antenatal registration and laboratory services.
A woman who came for antenatal registration told PREMIUM TIMES she was able to complete the process.
However, she explained that patients requiring consultations with doctors would have to wait until the strike is called off.
“If you want to register for antenatal, you can go there. If you want to do tests, you can go, but you won’t be able to see the doctor,” she said.
Last resort
In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, ARD-FCT President Mr Egbong described the strike as a “last resort” after repeated appeals to the FCT Administration failed.
He noted that many hospitals in the territory are struggling with depleted manpower and worsening working conditions, which he said have left doctors “overstretched and demoralised.”
“We cannot continue to work under these conditions without putting our own health and the safety of patients at risk,” he said.
He stressed that the association was open to dialogue if authorities demonstrated a genuine commitment.
National level
The situation in Abuja mirrors wider tensions in the health sector, as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has also renewed pressure on the federal government.
READ ALSO: NMA chair raises alarm over mental health of doctors
In a communiqué issued after its extraordinary national executive council meeting on Wednesday, NARD warned that failure to act would result in a five-day nationwide warning strike from Friday, 12 September.
Among its grievances are the non-payment of five months’ arrears from the 25/35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review, delayed release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and downgrading of membership certificates from the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The association also condemned state governments that have failed to pay the MRTF, describing the situation as “gross insensitivity.”
The resident doctors comprise the bulk of medical personnel in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals; hence, healthcare services are often crippled when they embark on strike.
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