Nigerian Doctors Begin Nationwide Indefinite Strike Over Unmet Demands

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has begun a nationwide strike described as “total, comprehensive, and indefinite.”

NARD President, Muhammad Suleiman, announced the decision in a statement on Saturday, following a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held last week.

Suleiman said the strike became unavoidable after the Federal Government repeatedly failed to honor previous agreements despite multiple discussions, appeals, and deadlines.

“However, this action has become inevitable, following the repeated failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria to honour its promises and implement the agreements reached with us after several rounds of dialogue, appeals, and ultimata,” Suleiman said.

The doctors are demanding better pay, payment of outstanding salaries, improved working conditions, and the provision of essential hospital equipment.

They also want more medical staff recruited and the removal of bureaucratic barriers that delay the replacement of doctors who leave the service.

Their key requests include a 200 percent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), full implementation of new allowances proposed in 2022, and immediate employment of additional clinical personnel.

“Our demands are not selfish, neither are they politically motivated. They are genuine, germane, and patriotic, centred on the survival of the Nigerian health system and the well-being of every citizen who depends on it,” the statement added.

“We fight not for personal gain, but for the creation of a system that allows resident doctors to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care to patients in an environment that supports their mental and physical well-being.

“A resident doctor who is overworked, underpaid, and mentally exhausted cannot offer optimal care to the patient who needs them most.

“A nation’s health system can only be as strong as the hands that sustain it. If resident doctors are broken, under-motivated, or forced to seek survival abroad, the patients suffer most.

“This is why we have taken this painful stand to secure the future of Nigerian healthcare for every man, woman, and child who deserves quality care here at home.

“We therefore call on all Nigerians; our patients, civil society groups, labour unions, religious and traditional leaders, and every citizen of conscience, to stand with us. Add your voices to ours in appealing to the Federal Government to do the right thing.

“This is not a fight between resident doctors and government; it is a struggle for a functional, just, and humane healthcare system, one where your doctor can attend to you with a clear mind, a motivated spirit, and access to the tools needed to save lives.”

He noted that the decision to strike was not taken lightly and expressed regret over any inconvenience it may cause patients and health facilities nationwide.

KanyiDaily recalls that NARD had earlier given the federal government a 30-day ultimatum over unresolved demands.