The healthcare sector in Nigeria is facing a severe crisis as resident doctors nationwide have launched a seven-day warning strike, leaving consultants and nurses struggling to manage the workload,leadership reports.
The strike, which began on Monday, August 26th, is a response to the ongoing abduction of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a resident doctor who has been held captive for nearly eight months.
Dr. Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew while traveling in Kaduna State. Although her husband was released in March 2024, Dr. Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
The strike has severely disrupted activities in public hospitals across the country, with many patients moving from government-owned hospitals to private facilities. Some patients were turned away by nurses, who advised them to return next week as consultants and house officers struggled to manage the influx.
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In Imo State, Dr. Precious Eteike, the president of the Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri (FTHO) association, confirmed that their members had joined the nationwide strike.
Eteike expressed regret over the strike’s impact on patients but emphasized their concern for the safety of their colleagues.
“Before this strike, we held peaceful protests within the hospital, but they yielded no results. We want Dr. Popoola released because eight months is a long time. She’s a woman in her reproductive years, likely enduring significant hardships. The mental and physical toll on her is unimaginable. We are not even addressing her mental state; she must be deeply affected,” Eteike said.
He added, “We need the government to guarantee our safety for those of us who have chosen to stay in the country. Everyone is considering relocation, so there must be a concerted effort to keep us safe. We want to end the strike, but we need our colleague to be released first.”
In Lagos State, Dr. Charles Kolawole Aisudo, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (ARD-LASUTH), echoed similar concerns. He noted that the safety of their lives and their families is in constant jeopardy, making it difficult to continue working under these conditions.
“The strike is a call to action for the government to fulfill its primary responsibility of protecting its citizens,” Aisudo said. “All resident doctors at LASUTH are on strike. We stand by the decision made on Sunday. We are not asking for money; we are demanding the release of our colleague and her nephew. If they are not released by Sunday, we will have no choice but to go on an indefinite strike.”
Though consultants and nurses are still attending to patients at LASUTH, Aisudo acknowledged that they are overwhelmed as resident doctors at the teaching hospital fully comply with the strike.
“Resident doctors handle most of the work in hospitals, so nurses, consultants, and other medical staff are having to step up. It’s tough for them to care for all the patients who come to the hospital daily. We urge the government to intervene quickly so that we can end the strike as soon as possible,” he appealed.
A visit to LASUTH revealed that while there were crowds in different units, activities were only partially functional.
For instance, a patient at the outpatient unit, Mrs. Adesola, told LEADERSHIP that she had been at the hospital since 8:00 am for a routine check-up but had yet to be attended to by 12:15 pm. “The queue is moving very slowly because there are no resident doctors to assist the consultant, so I have to wait patiently for my turn,” she explained.
A nurse at LASUTH, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her frustration, saying, “Today has been extremely challenging. The resident doctors’ strike is affecting our operations. The consultants on the ground cannot see all the patients, so we’ll have to reschedule some for next week.”
In Gombe State, resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe and other facilities have joined the strike, leaving patients stranded as consultants and house officers struggle to manage the patient load.
Dr. Kefas Wida, vice chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors in Gombe State, explained that the strike was in response to the government’s inaction in rescuing their kidnapped colleague.
“We are striking to bring attention to the plight of our kidnapped colleague and to demand action from the government,” Dr. Wida said. “If our demands are not met, we will be forced to embark on an indefinite strike.”
The strike has led to full compliance in Gombe State, with patients, particularly those needing regular attention, being forced to seek alternative care at primary health centers and private hospitals.
In Kwara State, resident doctors at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) have also joined the nationwide strike. Dr. Muhammed Yusuf, chairman of the UITH branch of NARD, stated that they have handed over their patients to consultants and have fully withdrawn from duties in compliance with the national directive.
“We have stayed away from duty in compliance with the directive from the national headquarters,” Yusuf said, adding that they would not even provide emergency care during the strike due to concerns over the security of their colleague in Kaduna.
At the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, consultants and house officers continued to attend to emergency cases, with the hospital’s spokesperson, Sami Suleiman, stating that while the resident doctors are on strike, the hospital is still rendering patient services.
“We are providing care to patients, especially those in critical need. Some patients were even operated on today by consultants and house officers. We are not turning patients away, as consultants and house officers are attending to them,” Suleiman said.
However, at Nyanyan General Hospital Abuja, patients were seen leaving in frustration on Tuesday morning, with some being asked to return next week due to the ongoing strike. Mrs. Uyiosa, a patient, shared her disappointment after being told by nurses to come back next week despite not feeling well for days.
