The strike embarked upon by resident doctors has taken a toll on patients in government-owned hospitals across the country. Death and diseases hang over the vast majority of public health facilities like the proverbial Sword of Damocles.
Some of the health facilities are deserted. Many patients have been discharged, having been abandoned by the striking doctors.
Doctors under the umbrella of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARDS) working in 91 federal and state-owned hospitals are fighting for improved welfare and greater attention to hospital infrastructure.
Our correspondents, who visited teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, across the country, report sombre and sometimes chaotic, as other categories of overburdened health workers struggle to give a semblance of skeletal health services.
Our correspondents gathered that many patients who were admitted in the hospitals about two weeks ago were forced home since the resident doctors’ strike commenced on November 1, 2025.
Abuja hospitals paralysed
The strike has paralysed healthcare services in Abuja hospitals, thus exposing patients to frustration.
At the National Hospital, Abuja, a caregiver, Zuwaira Sauki, said she brought her husband to the hospital from Keffi, Nasarawa State, for medical attention, but wasn’t attended to; she was forced to seek urgent medical attention in a private health care at a huge cost.
She said: “This is the third time we are being caught in this web of doctors’ strikes. In the previous one, I was forced to patronise a private hospital at an exorbitant fee, though the services were quite different.”
She added: “This sector is sensitive for the government to play with. Each time doctors go on strike, lives are lost; people at the lower cadre are most affected. The deaths are avoidable.”
At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, frustrations and hopelessness were written on every face. While a few of them lamented the devastating impact of the strike, others stated that the cost of drugs was becoming unbearable.
Samaila Makera, a patient at the Outpatient Department (OPD) said he visited the hospital from Kaduna State, but was turned back because of the strike.
“You could see frustration and disappointment on the faces of all of us. This shouldn’t be happening in Nigeria at this time. Our health care system ought to have grown past this as a nation.”
However, another patient, Blessing Ezechi, said she didn’t bother about the doctors’ strike.
“I am a regular visitor to the hospitals because of a peculiar health condition I have.
“I have witnessed multiple strikes by doctors in recent years. In one of my experiences, I was on admission when the strike started. I couldn’t bear the neglect, so I requested to be transferred to a private facility by family members. Surprisingly, it was the same set of doctors who claimed they were on strike in the government hospital that attended to me.”
A health worker at the National Hospital who pleaded anonymity supported the doctors in one way, and also faulted them in another.
“The health worker admitted the fact that the working environment was not conducive for the doctors and other health workers, but added that that was not enough reason to abandon the patients in the wards.
“The situation is the worst for every health worker aside from the doctors. On several occasions, we spend our personal money to get basic work tools to deliver services to the patients.”
UCH providing skeletal services
The foremost teaching hospital in Nigeria, University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State, is feeling the effect of the strike embarked upon by resident doctors.
The frontage of the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital, which used to be filled with family members of patients rushed to the hospital, was a shadow of itself when our correspondent visited.
It was observed that not a single patient was rushed to the hospital when this reporter was in the health facility for about four hours on Wednesday. Another visit to the hospital on Thursday showed the same development.
The beds in the accident and emergency department were also empty. The place, which used to be a beehive of activities, was quiet. But a walk around the hospital to some wards showed that there were some patients, including the Otunba Tunwase Children’s Ward.
Also, Mrs Fatima Ibrahim, a trader, who brought her child to UCH, stated: “I brought my three-year-old daughter here with severe malaria. The care has been excellent, and the doctors were very patient. They explained everything to me, and I’m grateful for their efforts.”
Mr John Ogunleye, a civil servant, said he came to UCH as an outpatient, but he lamented that he was rejected because of the strike. He said: “The consultants and nurses were attending to emergency cases. But I was not happy that I could not access medical care at UCH because of the strike. Now, I have to go to a private hospital and spend more money.”
A young woman, Chidinma Nwosu, who was met at one of the car parks in UCH, said: “I had a complicated pregnancy, and UCH was the only place that could handle it. So, I came in as an emergency case. The hospital did not reject me because of my condition. The staff were wonderful, and I’m grateful to them for saving my baby’s life.”
When contacted, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State Branch, Dr Happy Adedapo, said the association is in support of the strike. He stated that medical and health workers are not callous, noting, however, that it has come to the level that doctors must down tools in order to make their demands known to the government in a serious manner.
“The NMA is in support of NARD on the on-going strike. Doctors are not being treated fairly. So, you know that the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage has not been implemented for doctors up till now?”
UUTH relies on consultants, senior doctors
At the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) medical consultants and other senior doctors are treating patients as the nationwide strike heads into the third week.
When our reporter visited the hospital, only nurses, laboratory technicians and other paramedical personnel were attending to patients.
At the General Operations Department, a staff member who pleaded anonymity admitted that “nurses and senior doctors volunteer to assist in the treatment of patients who were already admitted in the hospital before the strike commenced.”
A family member of a patient described the situation as sad for his father who had been in pain in the hospital for a long time.
“We are just waiting here. Anytime a doctor comes, he would attend to many patients. Before it gets to our turn, he is already tired,” he lamented.
Another man who also had a relative in the hospital said: “Some parents cried in the night like babies, depending on the nature of their sickness, yet, there was nobody to attend to them.”
The president of NARD in the state, Dr Promise Jacob, told our reporter that everybody was suffering including doctors in Lokoja who have not received their salaries in the last ten months.
“It is not only the patients that are suffering. Let’s consider the cause of this strike. One of the reasons for this strike is the sacking of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja.
“Government should reinstate them immediately. This and other welfare matters are the prayers of the resident doctors. Resident doctors constitute between 70 to 80 per cent of the workforce in the hospitals. So, if they are not working, you know that the hospital system has collapsed because of this strike.”
Patients groan at BSUTH, FMC Makurdi
In Benue State, patients and their relatives are groaning over their inability to access doctors in government hospitals.
At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), some nurses were seen offering skeletal services. Some patients were also seen leaving the hospitals dejected.
Those who spoke to our correspondent expressed worry that their earlier appointments had been cancelled while others lamented the absence of doctors to attend to them.
Our correspondent noted that the development had driven most sick people to seek self-help.
A parent, Mrs Margareth Akoji was seen leaving the Federal Medical Centre with her daughter. She told our reporter that her baby took ill on Tuesday night. They were hoping to see the doctor by Wednesday morning but were disappointed.
“We didn’t sleep last night,” she recalled with pain and disappointment.
She said she was hurrying to a pharmacy to get some drugs for her daughter pending when the doctors would return to work.
Another patient who identified himself as Godwin said: “They didn’t attend to me; so I am going home. But I would stop at a pharmacy to get some drugs because I don’t have enough money for a private hospital.”
Another patient, Mr James Aondona, who had been managing diabetes for years said: “On getting here, I was told they were on strike. The doctor had told me to come for a regular check-up; he gave me an appointment for today. But now I can’t see him.”
A relative of a patient, Miss Ruth Kardoon, said her brother who was on admission at the General Hospital had to discharge himself last week because the doctors went on strike.
“He said he could not continue to lie in bed without the doctors coming to see him.” Miss Kardoon expressed fear that her brother’s condition could worsen, and appealed to the Federal Government to address the demands of the doctors to enable them return to work.
“Allowing doctors to continue to stay off work is like playing with our health, and wellbeing.”
Patients, families agonise at FMC Umuahia
In Abia State, the strike at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, is taking a huge toll.
Our correspondent observed that the management had sent away patients who were on admission while providing skeletal services to people with minor ailments.
A man, Isaac Okorie, whose father was on admission before he was abruptly discharged as a result of the strike, said the family had been going through difficult times.
“My aged father was admitted to the centre shortly before the strike started and was greatly responding to treatment before he was abruptly discharged as a result of the strike. I took him home because no other hospital around could handle his case. We now engage in self- medication to sustain him even at a great cost and risk.”
Ndubueze Maduka, from Ubakala said he was on admission at the centre when the strike started and had to be asked to go home.
“I have since then resorted to self-medication because I could not afford to go to a private hospital. I have been in a fix,” he lamented.
Benjamin Chibueze, a public servant who said although he did not know what the resident doctors were agitating for, urged the Federal Government to dialogue with them as soon as possible.
Condition of UNTH, National Orthopaedic patients worsens
One of the patients at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Ngozi Edeh, said she had been unable to cope with the situation and requested to be transferred to another hospital.
“Since this strike began, we have not seen doctors. Though one consultant comes to the ward once in a while, I have not even seen him in the past two days. I have asked them to transfer me to another hospital. I don’t want to die here,” she lamented.
A patient at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Ndubuisi Anigbo, lamented that his condition had deteriorated since the strike started.
“We are not having it easy now. I am begging the government to respond to the doctors’ demands. We are dying here. My condition has worsened. I am even thinking of reverting to traditional healing,” he said.
A resident doctor who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said there was no end in sight to the strike, as the government was yet to fully meet the doctors’ demands.
Strike bites at NDUTH, Okolobiri
The family of Mr Andrew Iyabi was in a dilemma as their 27-year-old son, Tamapreye, who had been sick with a strange illness at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, NDUTH, Okolobiri, groaned.
Doctors had been battling to sustain him. And just when hope seemed to be returning, he was forced home because of the resident doctors’ strike.
“We had hope; we were already at the brink of a breakthrough when this strike began. We have been told to go home.
“I am a retired civil servant, and I don’t have the money to take him to a private hospital. His condition is still very critical. We are at a loss as to what to do. I am confused as a father,’’ Iyabi said.
Iyabi is not the only person affected by the on-going strike by NARD. Several other patients have been discharged by the hospital management due to the strike.
Josiah Benemu had been on admission for five weeks and was scheduled to have surgery on November 5. The surgery was cancelled due to the doctors’ strike.
“I don’t know my fate. I was told by the nurses that they had sent for my family to come and take me home because the surgery would no longer be held because of the strike. What am I expected to do? I am now hopeless and can only pray that the government listens to their demands and they call off the strike. I am hoping and praying for a miracle to happen,” he said.
The Chairman of the NARD at NDUTH, Dr.Frank Ambaka, expressed regret that patients had to be discharged from the hospital, noting that his members were not responsible for the development.
“The Federal Government should listen to our demands so that we return to work,” he emphasised.
The situation is not different at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where several patients were prematurely directed to return home, as there were no doctors to attend to them.
Mrs Assembly Ikoli was one of the affected patients. She was told to go home after paying for a surgery.
“I was told to go home because of the strike; that I would be contacted to return. I am greatly disappointed that this is happening. The government should not be allowing doctors to go on strike.”
Credit: The Sun