Nigeria’s healthcare system has been put on halt as resident doctors began a comprehensive, indefinite strike on Saturday. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) initiated the industrial action following the government’s failure to address their demands within a 30-day ultimatum period. NARD President Dr. Mohammad Suleiman characterized the move as a last resort after exhausting all other options.
“We embark on this total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike not out of desire but out of necessity,” Suleiman stated, citing the Federal Government’s continued neglect of the doctors’ legitimate demands and the worsening state of Nigeria’s health system.
The strike centers on fundamental healthcare system issues including unpaid arrears, deteriorating working conditions, severe staffing shortages, and inadequate medical infrastructure.
Suleiman described the demands as essential for quality patient care, stating they are “centred on ensuring that doctors can provide safe, effective, and compassionate care in an environment that safeguards their physical and mental well-being.”
Warning of continued brain drain, the NARD president noted that, “A nation’s health system is only as strong as the doctors who sustain it. If those doctors are broken, demotivated, or forced to seek survival elsewhere, the patients suffer most.”
The association appealed for public understanding, with Suleiman emphasizing that the struggle is “not a fight against the government but a struggle for a functional and humane healthcare system.” He called on Nigerians to support their cause so “hospitals can reopen and patients can once again access the care they deserve.”
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