The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has commenced a seven-day warning strike, citing systemic failures in the FCT health sector.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by the association’s President, George Ebong, and other executive members on Monday in Abuja.
The doctors described the territory’s health system as one crippled by long-standing structural deficiencies, stressing the need for urgent and comprehensive reforms.
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Ebong noted that resident doctors in the FCT are under immense strain, often forced to handle multiple departments at once.
He urged the federal government to urgently address the worsening challenges in the health sector, warning that persistent neglect could trigger “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.
Ebong further stressed that frontline health workers must be actively involved in decision-making processes.
To back its demands, the association handed the FCT administration a one-week ultimatum to initiate meaningful reforms—particularly in staffing and welfare—or face a one-week strike action.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, 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,” Salako said.
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He explained that the main issue was the unpaid residency training allowance, noting that about 40 per cent of the 2025 allocation had yet to be disbursed.
When asked if the government could guarantee a resolution before the ultimatum expired, Salako replied: “That is my hope, and that is what we are working on.”
