Our correspondents report that thousands of patients seeking treatment at federal and state-owned hospitals continue to endure hardship as the 11,500 resident doctors—who form the bulk of the nation’s 56,000 registered medical practitioners—remain off duty.
Resident doctors are medical graduates undergoing specialist training and are considered the backbone of emergency and routine medical services in Nigeria’s public hospitals.
At the Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, patients were seen waiting helplessly on Sunday with minimal medical attention available. Some, like Madam Gift Arume, who rushed her sick son to the facility, were left unattended for hours. “No doctor has seen him. I gave him paracetamol just to calm him down,” she said in frustration.
A similar situation was observed at hospitals in Niger, Kano, Benue, Bauchi, and Lagos states, where consultants and nurses have been forced to provide limited or emergency-only services.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, only skeletal services are being rendered. The hospital’s spokesperson, Mr. Kayode Arokoyo, admitted that consultants and house officers “can only take on as much as they can cope with since resident doctors—who form the majority—are not available.”
In Kano, many patients at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital have turned to private hospitals due to prolonged waiting hours. “I had to pay more in a private hospital after waiting over three hours at AKTH,” said a patient, Aisha Ahmad.
In Benue State, patients at the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) expressed distress over postponed appointments and surgeries. Kondom Dennis, a machete attack victim awaiting surgery, said, “I returned ready for the operation, but it could not hold because of the strike.”
The situation is the same at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, where wards remain empty and frustrated relatives say their patients have not seen a doctor in days. In Lagos, hospitals such as LASUTH have shut their doors to new admissions, relying on nurses and student doctors to manage a few remaining patients.
Meanwhile, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, confirmed that talks with the Federal Government have stalled. “No concrete action has been taken so far,” he said, citing unresolved issues around unpaid allowances, reinstatement of sacked members in Lokoja, and discrepancies in funds released for the payment of arrears.
He noted that although the government claimed to have approved ₦11.9 billion for payment, NARD’s records show only ₦6 billion was discussed.
As the strike enters its 11th day, patients across Nigeria continue to bear the brunt of the deadlock, with many calling on the Federal Government to intervene urgently to avert further loss of lives.
