FCT Resident Doctors Begin Seven-Day Warning Strike

Resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands for urgent reforms in the health sector.

The decision was announced in a communique signed by the president of the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT chapter, Dr. George Ebong, and other executives.

According to the group, the strike became necessary due to what they described as deep-rooted failures in the FCT health system.

They said doctors are overstretched, often forced to cover several departments at once because of severe staff shortages.

Dr. Ebong explained that without immediate action from the Federal Government, the situation could lead to a total collapse of healthcare delivery in the capital.

The association listed key issues such as inadequate manpower, broken equipment, poor working conditions, unpaid allowances, delayed promotions, and underpayment of promoted staff.

They stressed that improving welfare and ensuring proper staffing would help raise morale and improve efficiency.

The doctors also called for frontline professionals to be part of the government’s decision-making process.

They gave the FCT administration a one-week deadline to show concrete steps toward reform, warning that the current warning strike could escalate if their concerns are ignored.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Isaq Salako, expressed optimism that the strike could still be averted.

Speaking on Channels Television, Salako revealed that discussions are ongoing with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

“The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but I believe with the level of conversation ongoing, we had a meeting on Monday; we are making progress,” he said.

He noted that the central issue is the outstanding residency training allowance, about 40 percent of which for 2025 is yet to be paid.

According to him, the government is already working to resolve the matter.

When asked if the problem could be settled before the doctors’ deadline, Salako responded, “That is my hope, and that is what we are working on.”

This comes days after the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) gave the Federal Government and other relevant authorities a 10-day deadline to meet its demands or face a nationwide strike.