Nigeria’s healthcare system is sliding deeper into crisis as the nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) enters its 17th day with no resolution in sight. The prolonged industrial action has left major public hospitals severely understaffed, exposing millions of Nigerians to life-threatening delays in medical care.
Across the country, wards that once bustled with activity now echo with silence. At the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), one of the busiest health facilities in the country, the surgical emergency unit — usually overflowing with urgent cases — now struggles to operate with skeletal staff. Nurses and a few consultants are holding the line, but even they admit the burden is “overwhelming and unsustainable.” Similar scenes were recorded in tertiary hospitals in Abuja, Kano, Maiduguri, Ibadan, Zaria, and Port Harcourt, where patients in dire need of specialist care are being turned away or referred to private facilities many cannot afford.
NARD’s decision to embark on an indefinite strike stems from what the association describes as “years of broken promises and unfulfilled obligations” from the federal government. The union is pressing for the implementation of a 19-point demand list, which includes payment of salary arrears, hazard allowances, upgraded CONMESS structures, promotion backlogs, and the long-neglected accoutrement allowance for resident doctors. They argue that without addressing these issues, the morale and retention of medical professionals — already threatened by massive brain drain — will continue to decline.
Government officials have repeatedly appealed for patience, claiming that several financial processes have been initiated and that negotiations are ongoing. But NARD says these assurances no longer carry weight. “We have heard the same promises for years. This time, we need concrete action, not paperwork,” one senior member of the union noted.
The impact of the strike is dire. Emergency units are overstretched, elective surgeries have been halted, and many outpatient departments are completely shut down. Patients with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, and cancer are now left in limbo as follow-ups and routine medications are disrupted. For families in rural and low-income communities, the situation is especially grim.
Health experts warn that the strike, if prolonged, could trigger secondary outbreaks of preventable illnesses due to treatment gaps, delayed diagnoses, and overcrowding in private facilities. They also caution that the financial strain of referrals to private hospitals could push more households into poverty.
Civil society groups and medical stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention from the presidency to break the deadlock. Some have suggested a high-level emergency meeting involving NARD, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Budget Office, and the Ministry of Finance to produce a binding implementation timeline.
For now, the suffering continues — in deserted wards, in crowded waiting areas, and in homes where families anxiously watch loved ones deteriorate while hoping for a breakthrough. As the strike stretches into its third week, the stakes grow higher, and the question remains: How long can the country’s fragile healthcare system endure?