Resident doctors in several Federal Government-owned hospitals across Lagos State have fully complied with the five-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
A monitoring visit by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday to major health facilities — including the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); and National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi (NOHIL) — revealed that resident doctors were absent from duty in line with the directive.
NARD had announced the commencement of the industrial action after a 24-hour ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government expired. The ultimatum followed an earlier 10-day notice which lapsed on September 10 without the government meeting the doctors’ demands.
Among the unresolved issues are:
Non-release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
Non-payment of five months’ arrears arising from the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
Outstanding specialist and hazard allowances.
The Lagos strike aligns with similar actions by resident doctors in Abuja and Oyo State, further intensifying pressure on the Federal Government to resolve the lingering dispute.
President of the Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH, Dr. Benjamin Uyi, stressed that the doctors’ demands are long overdue and vital for their wellbeing. He explained that ensuring the physical, mental, and psychosocial balance of doctors is crucial for patient care.
“Any doctor whose welfare is neglected poses a risk to patients,” Uyi said. “We are already overstretched and burnt out due to excessive workload and poor conditions, yet the government has not prioritised our welfare.”
Echoing this concern, another doctor, Dr. Egberongbe, condemned the frequent industrial actions within the health sector, noting that poor working conditions remain the biggest driver of medical brain drain in Nigeria.
“Many of our colleagues are leaving to practise abroad because of these issues. Despite the shortage of doctors across the country, the government has not taken our welfare seriously. We are not asking for anything out of the ordinary — just for our rights and entitlements to be addressed,” he stated.
Both doctors urged the Federal Government to urgently meet NARD’s demands before the five-day warning strike expires to prevent an escalation of the crisis.
