Resident Doctors’ Strike Cripples Healthcare As Labour Minister Calls Walkout ’Incongruous’

Healthcare was affected for several people across the country as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a five-day strike on Wednesday to demand for better conditions, including an increase in salaries.

Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige told the media on Wednesday that it was "incongruous for students doctors to embark on strike when consultants training them were already negotiating with the Federal Government," Punch reported.

"The resident doctors are part of NMA [Nigeria Medical Association]. They are young doctors in training. So, if NMA is negotiating on their behalf as the parent body, what these young people (resident doctors) are doing is disrespecting the NMA," he continued. "They are crying wolf when there is none."

The strike took a toll on healthcare services across Nigeria. Even though the strike does not affect nurses or specialist doctors, medical residents form the majority of the healthcare workers in the government hospitals.

Dr. Kemi Abiloye, who served as the President of the Association of Resident Doctors at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, said none of the doctors went to work on Wednesday.

"...the government knows our agitation and as soon as they are able to call us to the negotiation table and begin to solve our demands, we can then agree with them," Dr. Abiloye said.

The chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Uzairu Abdullahi, said the members of the association have joined the strike alongside the resident doctors of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) and Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.

President of ARD, BSUTH and Makurdi, Dr. Moses Agwa, explained the doctors had faced several health hazards, especially during COVID-19 and Lassa fever, due to which many members died.

"We are exposed to the worst hazards ever, and at the end, you are paid N5,000 for all cadre, while it has been reviewed to 600% at the federal level," Dr. Moses explained.

He went on to explain that the doctors are leaving the country because of poor salaries and an increased load of work.

Dr. Emeka Orji, who served as the national president of NARD, noted that the government has not invited them to discuss their demands.

"The government knows how to invite us for negotiations because what they are looking at is that the Minister of Labour said he has called the Nigerian Medical Association to invite us, and he also said he has called the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, to invite us to a meeting, but they have not invited us," Dr. Orji said.

Dr. Orji also reacted to the no-work, no-pay policy, explaining that it was "unfortunate" how the government was looking at the doctors.

He claimed that instead of addressing the issues, the government was "drifting and talking about punitive measures, that is not good for Nigeria and it is not good for the health sector," adding that it is not going to resolve any issues.