FCT doctors insist on signed commitment to suspend strike

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, says it will not suspend its ongoing warning strike unless the federal government provides a signed, written commitment to address its demands.

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Speaking in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the president of the association, George Ebong, said doctors are no longer willing to rely on verbal assurances that have been repeatedly broken in the past.

Mr Ebong insisted that everything must be documented.

“In the past, we listened to them without anything in writing. We believed their promises, but nothing was ever done,” he said.

“This time, everything must be documented, signed by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, and attached to a clear timeline.”

He added that even demands that require no financial resources, such as promotions, and conversions, had not been implemented.

“If you say there’s no money, fine. But what about the things that cost nothing? They haven’t been done either. So how do you expect us to trust you?”

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Ongoing strike

The ARD-FCT had on Monday embarked on a seven-day warning strike, citing government’s failure to resolve long-standing grievances.

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.

The strike is scheduled to run until 15 September, after which the doctors said they would review their action based on government response.

Patients redirected to other hospitals

Mr Ebong explained that the association had made arrangements for patients to seek care in other facilities across the FCT, including Garki Hospital, the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, and some private hospitals.

“We cannot continue to practice harmful medicine on our patients just because the system is broken,” he said.

He noted that the recurrent strikes in the FCT health sector stem from systemic failures that have persisted for years, despite several negotiations and agreements with the government.

According to him, while the current Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, is not personally responsible for the longstanding challenges, he has the opportunity to address them decisively.

PREMIUM TIMES visited different hospitals across Abuja twice during the ongoing strike. Reporters noted that while some skeletal services continued, many patients were stranded.

A pregnant woman who came for antenatal care in Wuse, for instance, was turned back and asked to return after the strike.

Several other patients experienced similar disruptions, highlighting the immediate impact of the industrial action on healthcare access.

National level

The situation in Abuja mirrors wider tensions in the health sector, as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Friday commenced a five-day warning strike after accusing the federal government of ignoring long-standing demands over welfare and remuneration.

NARD, which constitutes the bulk of medical personnel in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, said the action was necessary as government inaction had left doctors with no choice.

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.”