Patients seeking medical care at public hospitals nationwide are facing challenges as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors initiated a seven-day warning strike on Monday.
The strike was organized to advocate for the rescue of Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a doctor in Kaduna who was abducted last December and has been held captive for about eight months.
This nationwide strike resulted in patients being left without care as doctors chose to abstain from work.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, conducted a meeting with the NARD leadership to discuss the ongoing situation. Dr. Dele Abdullahi, the President of NARD, mentioned in a phone interview with The NAIJATRAFFIC that they had a meeting with the minister.
The minister assured them that he would contact the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to address the matter.
Dr. Popoola, the kidnapped doctor, serves at the National Eye Hospital in Kaduna. NARD’s decision to commence the warning strike was in solidarity with their plea for her safe rescue.
They have previously sent official letters to various stakeholders, engaged in peaceful demonstrations, and set a two-week ultimatum for the release of their colleague, which has already passed.
In Abuja, the ongoing strike resulted in substantial disruptions to hospital services, causing patients to endure lengthy wait times for medical attention.
As the strike continued, routine medical procedures and consultations were postponed, leading to heightened frustration and distress among those seeking care.
At the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja, patients and their loved ones faced extended delays in receiving vital treatments, with individuals like Sarah Adamu, who had a scheduled appointment to manage her diabetes, voicing their discontent.
“I’ve been waiting for this appointment for weeks. Now, with the strike, I don’t know when I’ll be seen. It’s incredibly stressful.
“I overheard them saying they may stop collecting cards so they can attend to people they can.”
A retired civil servant, Mrs Aisha Abdul, highlighted the strike caused significant delays in her consultation and treatment.
“I know the doctors are fighting for a just cause, but my condition requires immediate attention, especially because of my age. I hope they resolve this soon.”
At the National Hospital in Abuja, the ongoing NARD strike has resulted in a reduced workforce, with only consultants, house officers, and a few healthcare workers available to attend to patients, according to Dr. Bessie Eziechila, a former Chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria.
Patients have expressed frustration and disappointment as the delays have disrupted their scheduled activities.
For instance, Mrs. Emily Thomas, a mother of two, was unaware of the strike until she arrived at the hospital and was dismayed by the slow response, which forced her to miss work.
Another patient, Maria, experienced a similarly frustrating wait but was eventually attended to, and she hopes the government will address the situation soon.
Despite the challenges, hospital spokesperson Dr. Tayo Haastrup assured that patients are still being treated, albeit with delays.
“I sympathise with the doctors and I pray their colleague is rescued immediately because it is not a good thing that healthcare is kidnapped.
“However, the hospital is open to patients, and we are attending to them, even though there are delays but we are attending to them. The consultants, nurses, and other healthcare workers are on the ground. No patient is being sent back,” he said.
NARD justified the strike, stressing that it was essential to take a stand and push for resolution of the lingering problems that have been neglected for too long.
“We are considering the plights of the patients, the patients are our patients and this is the oath we’ve taken. But an injury to one is an injury to all, and in a system whereby we need to keep the sanctity of the healthcare workers to do the job appropriately, how well do you think that healthcare workers will work, knowing that you have a member that has been kidnapped for months?”
“We can convince our patients that if we have our members back today, we are willing and ready to return to work and go back to what we are happy doing.”
At the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, resident doctors also refrained from working, joining the nationwide strike.
Dr. Uzairu Abdullahi, the hospital’s association chairman, confirmed their participation, stating that they had aligned with their colleagues across the country in the industrial action.
He said, “The warning strike is embarked upon by the association to press home our demands of immediate rescue of one of our members, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, from bandits.
“She has been in captivity for too long and we believe it’s high time government and security agencies took her case more seriously.”
In Edo State, patients who visited the University of Benin Teaching Hospital on Monday were disappointed to find that resident doctors were not working due to the NARD strike.
One patient, Felicia, was particularly frustrated, having traveled a long distance for a scheduled appointment only to have it cancelled, leaving her feeling like she had wasted her time.
She highlighted , “I wasted my time and over N3,000 transport to and fro the hospital. I defied the early morning downpour only to be turned back.”
