Resident doctors across federal hospitals in Lagos and Ibadan, on Friday, fully complied with the 5-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), leaving patients unattended and disrupting medical services.
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, resident doctors stayed away from duty on Friday. A similar situation was observed at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where patients were left stranded at accident and emergency units, outpatient departments, and wards.
The strike followed the expiration of a 24-hour ultimatum issued by NARD after its earlier 10-day deadline lapsed on September 10 without government response. The association’s demands include the release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, the payment of five months’ arrears from the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, settlement of outstanding specialist and hazard allowances, and improved welfare provisions.
President of the Association of Resident Doctors at LUTH, Dr. Benjamin Uyi, stressed that the government needs to urgently resolve the outstanding issues to ensure the doctors could return to. work.
“Any doctor whose welfare is not met is already a risk to the patients. For any doctor to function optimally, his or her physical, mental health, and psychosocial needs must be balanced. The doctors are already burnt out and faced with excessive workload and work schedule, and the government is yet to prioritise their welfare,” Uyi said.
At the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, President of the resident doctors, Dr. Babatunde Egberongbe, described the recurring strikes as “unfortunate,” noting that the government’s handling of welfare issues was fueling the migration of medical practitioners abroad.
“The poor working conditions for the doctors are the major reason why many of them are leaving the country to practise abroad. Presently, there are limited number of doctors in hospitals across the country, yet the government has not deemed it necessary to prioritise their welfare and demands. Let the government, as a matter of urgency, address our demands, because we are not asking for anything extraordinary,” Egberongbe said.
In Ibadan, UCH resident doctors also withdrew their services. Patients at the accident and emergency unit were denied admission, while outpatient consultations were suspended from 8 am.
– NAN