Judul : 13 Days In, Doctors' Strike Disrupts Major Hospitals
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13 Days In, Doctors' Strike Disrupts Major Hospitals
A recent inspection by PREMIUM TIMES at hospitals in Abuja and Lagos this week showed mostly vacant rooms and dissatisfied patients who left without receiving care.
(Mariam Ileyemi, Oluwakemi Adelagun, Zainab Adewale, and Fortune Eromonsele)
Thirteen days after the Nigerian Association of Medical Officers in TrainingThe (NARD) initiated its strike, causing major hospital services to be paralyzed, leaving patients in a difficult situation.
The walkout, starting on November 1, has halted activities in multiple federal and state-level tertiary hospitals, with only minimal services provided by doctors, nurses, and support personnel.
A visit by PREMIUM TIMES to hospitals in Abuja and Lagos this week showed mostly empty rooms and patients who left without receiving care.
In the meantime, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, addressed the opening session of the 2025 Joint Annual Review (JAR) for the Health Sector on Wednesday. He urged the striking resident doctors to "focus on the Nigerian citizen," voicing worries about the effects on the public healthcare system.
Skeletal services are operating in Abuja hospitals.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the two main district hospitals, Maitama and Wuse, appeared unusually deserted on Thursday, featuring empty corridors and a small number of personnel.
In the Maitama District Hospital, the usually lively hallways were calm during our reporter's visit on Thursday. Just a few patients could be seen in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) department, whereas the Nutrition and Paediatric (NPI) unit was the most active, crowded with mothers and infants awaiting appointments.
The General Outpatient Department (GOPD) had very little activity, with only a small number of individuals waiting to be seen. A limited number of nurses were on duty at the Emergency Department, attending to a single patient.
Other sections, such as the Laboratory and Radiology, were partially operational but operating at less than usual levels.
A guard at the entrance stated that no medical professionals had been working since the strike started.
"You are allowed to enter, but there are no physicians present. Only a small number of patients are being cared for by the nursing staff," he said.
A nurse also verified that only a few consultants were present to care for patients, mentioning that most departments were operating at less than full capacity.
The conditions were more severe at Wuse District Hospital, with most departments entirely empty. The Antenatal Department was vacant, and only a small number of patients could be observed at the card registration unit.
The Maternity and Pediatrics Department along with the Emergency Room were also empty, while the inpatient pharmacy was closed during the visit.
More skeletal services
In Asokoro District Hospital, certain departments seemed to be operational. The eye clinic and immunization unit were active, with patients waiting for medical attention and infants receiving care. Nevertheless, the GOPD remained vacant.
A staff member informed PREMIUM TIMES that no physicians were present: "In addition to the striking medical and surgical doctors, other departments of the hospital remain operational, but we are unsure when the strike will end."
A comparable situation took place at the National Hospital in Abuja, where skeletal services remained active. Outpatient medical consultations were taking place, although the hospital restricted the daily patient count to 20.
"We limit our daily intake to 20 patients, and you need to arrive before 8 a.m. to receive a number," a staff member explained.
Similar situation in Lagos
In Lagos, individuals visiting the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) voiced their dissatisfaction due to the cancellation or indefinite delay of their scheduled appointments.
When Premium Times arrived at the hospital on Tuesday, the hallways that typically teemed with movement were deserted.
Glory to Olamide, 18, diagnosed withconstrictive pericarditis, had been looking forward to her planned appointment with optimism, but was unable to locate a consultant upon arriving at the hospital.
"All things are on hold," she said to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday while leaving the Cardio Thoracic Surgery Unit (CTSU) at LASUTH, her stomach swollen.
Constrictive pericarditishappens when the membrane surrounding the heart (pericardium) thickens, becomes stiff, and hard, hindering the heart chambers from filling correctly with blood. This results in blood accumulating in the systemic veins (right-sided heart failure), leading to various symptoms.
A different patient, Isaac Dickson, was referred from Alimosho General Hospital to consult a nephrologist, yet also went back home without receiving any medical attention.
I conducted two tests today," the patient said to PREMIUM TIMES. "They initially refused me, but when I explained my experience to the nurses, I was permitted to undergo some tests.
I will return, but solely once it is verified that the strike has been canceled.
Mr. Dickson called on the federal government to focus on the well-being of the striking physicians, stating that "physicians should be treated with great care."
For Nike Kolawole, who accompanied her brother for a check-up following his release from the emergency department, the hospital seemed nearly deserted.
The emergency room is nearly vacant," she mentioned. "Just a small number of patients with critical conditions are here.
Strike continues
On Monday, Muhammad Suleiman, President of NARD, informed PREMIUM TIMES that the strike would persist until tangible agreements were finalized and put into effect by the federal administration.
Only after reaching an agreement and putting it in writing or taking action can issues be resolved," said Mr. Suleiman. "Simply discussing them does not address the problem.
He disputed the government's assertion that billions of naira had been distributed to cover outstanding payments, stating that the majority of doctors had still not received their compensation.
"The federal government stated that it allocated N41.3 billion to settle 25/35 percent of outstanding debts. They provided the funds, but less than 60 percent of our members have received notifications, and the alerts have ceased," he said.
He mentioned that an additional N2.9 billion, which was supposed to be released, had not been paid. "That funds were meant to be released last Monday, but it hasn't been released yet," he stated. "People haven't been receiving those notifications. I wonder, is it another 'audio alert'?"
He insisted that the strike will remain ongoing. "As long as we haven't reached an agreement on these matters and no steps are implemented, the industrial action will persist," he stated.
Government assurances
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had previously stated itapproved N11.995 billionto be issued within 72 hours to settle unpaid debts and benefits due to physicians and other medical personnel.
It also mentioned that N10 billion was paid in August as part of the seven-month arrears for the salary review, while N10.6 billion was allocated for the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
The government revealed plans for "large-scale hiring" of medical personnel in federal tertiary institutions to tackle staffing gaps resulting from the exodus of skilled workers.
Even with these guarantees, resident doctors claim the payments have not materialized in practice. "They have been promising us some of these things for two, three, or even five years, and they still haven't delivered," Mr. Suleiman stated.
Background to the strike
NARD announced an ongoing strike following an special National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on 25 October.
The group criticized the federal government for not resolving ongoing problems, such as outstanding salary debts, inadequate working environments, postponed promotions, and the failure to apply the one-for-one replacement policy to tackle staff shortages.
The group also criticized extended working hours and heavy workloads caused by the movement of healthcare professionals overseas.
"The existing unsustainable approach of distributing responsibilities over multiple days presents significant dangers to doctors' health and the safety of patients," NARD stated in its declaration.
The physicians' requests involve settling all unpaid salaries and benefits, swift substitution of current medical staff, enhancement of hospital facilities, and integration of junior doctors into the civil service system.
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