Olushola Omogbehin
The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has commenced a one week warning strike which they blame on systemic failures in the FCT health sector.
This was announced on Monday in a communiqué signed by the President of the association, George Ebong, and other executive members.
The doctors described the health system of FCT as one grounded by prolonged structural deficiencies that require the need for urgent and comprehensive reforms.
As a result of the structural deficiencies, Ebong said that resident doctors in the territory are under tensed condition where they handle multiple departments at once.
He therefore appealed to the federal government to urgently address the worsening challenges in the sector. He also warned that persistent neglect could trigger what he called “a systemic collapse.”
The association demanded quick intervention to fix manpower shortages, non-functional equipment, unpaid allowances, and poor working conditions. It also raised concerns over unpaid salaries, delayed promotions, and underpayment of promoted staff, insisting that morale and efficiency in service delivery hinged on immediate reforms.
backing up its demands, the association gave the FCT administration a one-week ultimatum to come out with meaningful reforms, particularly in staffing and welfare or face a one-week strike action.
Speaking on the strike, the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, expressed optimism that ongoing discussions with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) would avert the planned strike.
“The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but I believe with the level of conversation ongoing, we are making progress. We had a meeting on Monday,” he said.
He said the major issue that led to the strike was the unpaid residency training allowance, noting that about 40 per cent of the 2025 allocation is yet to be disbursed.
