Resident doctors in Lagos State have fully complied with the five-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), paralysing services across major federal health institutions.
A monitoring visit by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday confirmed total compliance at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, where resident doctors were absent from duty.
READ ALSO: Nigerian doctors declare 5-day nationwide warning strike
The industrial action follows the expiration of a 24-hour ultimatum given to the Federal Government after a 10-day deadline lapsed on September 10 without progress on NARD’s demands.
Among the issues raised are the non-release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, non-payment of five months’ arrears under the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, and outstanding specialist and hazard allowances.
The strike in Lagos coincides with similar actions by resident doctors in Abuja and Oyo State, underscoring the nationwide dimension of the doctors’ grievances.
President of the Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH chapter, Dr Benjamin Uyi, urged the Federal Government to act swiftly within the five-day window to forestall a full-blown shutdown of medical services.
“The welfare of doctors is long overdue for attention. Any doctor whose wellbeing is neglected becomes a risk to patients. To work effectively, a doctor’s physical, mental, and psychosocial needs must be met. At present, many of us are burnt out, overstretched, and yet the government has failed to prioritise our welfare,” Uyi said.
Also speaking, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at NOHIL, Dr Babatunde Egberongbe, described the situation as “unfortunate,” lamenting that the government consistently allows the health sector to drift into strikes.
He warned that the persistent neglect of doctors’ welfare is fuelling the mass exodus of health professionals abroad.
“The working conditions are poor, hospitals are understaffed, and yet our welfare issues remain unresolved. We are not demanding anything extraordinary; government must act urgently to address these concerns,” Egberongbe stressed.
