Resident doctors commence nationwide indefinite strike over unmet demands

File: Doctors

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

Muhammad Suleiman, NARD president, announced the development in a statement released on Saturday.

The industrial action follows a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held last week, during which members resolved to embark on the strike.

“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 fair remuneration, payment of salary arrears, improved working conditions, adequate staffing, and the provision of essential medical infrastructure.

Their concerns also include excessive workloads, which they say directly affect the quality of healthcare delivered to Nigerians.

The association is calling for a 200 percent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), full implementation of the new allowances proposed in July 2022, immediate recruitment of clinical staff, and removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering the replacement of exiting doctors.

“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.