Patients are left stranded as doctors’ strikes, due to diminishing healthcare services provided in some hospitals, enter the third day. The strike initiative has been taken by doctors belonging to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD). These members are demanding, amongst other things, payment of all owed salary arrears that go as far back as 2015. They are also calling for more massive recruitment of clinical staff in hospitals and seeking abolishment of bureaucratic restrictions that affect the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who leave the system. Additionally, they require the immediate review of hazard allowance by all Nigerian state governments, as well as private tertiary health institutions undergoing residency training.
The Nigerian government said that negotiation is ongoing to halt the industrial action, but as of 2:00 pm on Friday, there has been no contact with the doctors concerning a possible change. The resident doctors comprise much of the medical staff in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals making health activities extremely challenging during their strikes.
The strikes continue to cripple the delivery of quality healthcare services in Nigeria. In recent times, health workers’ strikes are not uncommon in Nigeria. Before, NARD had offered an ultimatum to the government in January, demanding its members’ issues, for example, the immediate implementation and payment of new hazard allowance and arrears, are dealt with.
Presently, this strike has caused major disruptions yesterday in health activities in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States. Additionally, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) and the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Abeokuta, there has been a full compliance of resident doctors with the directive of their national association, which has already put a halt to medical activities.
