The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has begun an indefinite nationwide strike, disrupting medical services in public hospitals across Nigeria.
According to Mediaplusng.com, the association’s president, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, announced the strike in a statement on Saturday, citing the federal government’s failure to meet doctors’ long-standing demands despite several negotiations and warnings. The decision followed a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC), where members unanimously agreed to embark on a “total and comprehensive” industrial action.
Dr. Suleiman explained that the strike became unavoidable after the government repeatedly failed to implement agreements reached with the doctors. NARD’s key demands include the payment of salary arrears, improved welfare and working conditions, recruitment of more clinical staff, and the provision of essential medical equipment. The group is also calling for a 200 percent review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and full implementation of new allowances proposed in July 2022.
Mediaplusng.com reports that the doctors are also demanding the removal of bureaucratic delays in replacing exiting health workers. The association emphasized that its demands are not selfish or politically driven but aimed at saving Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system. NARD said doctors cannot continue to work under poor conditions and warned that continued neglect of the medical sector will harm patients and weaken the country’s healthcare foundation.
While expressing regret over the strike’s impact on patients, Dr. Suleiman said the move is necessary to secure a better future for healthcare delivery in Nigeria. He described the strike as “a call for a functional, just, and humane healthcare system,” urging Nigerians, labour unions, civil society groups, and religious leaders to support the doctors and pressure the government to fulfill its promises.
