The healthcare system in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is currently facing an unprecedented crisis as resident doctors in its hospitals have embarked on an indefinite strike.
This industrial action has severely disrupted medical services, leaving a skeleton crew of overburdened consultants to handle patient volumes that have escalated to alarming levels.
Since the strike commenced on Monday, emergency departments and hospital wards have been plunged into chaos, as observed during visits by LEADERSHIP.
Reports indicate that a single doctor is now responsible for attending to more than 50 patients during a shift.
A senior consultant, who requested anonymity, revealed that he had been on duty continuously for 36 hours, tirelessly moving between wards with exhaustion deeply ingrained in his body.
“I’ve lost track of the number of patients I’ve seen today. We’re essentially performing triage without officially calling it that. The most critical patients receive care first, while others are left waiting. This is no longer practicing medicine; it’s managing a crisis,” he explained.
For patients, the situation is harrowing. Chinwe Okonkwo, whose daughter was admitted to an FCT hospital with a severe asthma attack, recounted her distress: “We’ve been waiting for four hours. The nurses are compassionate but clearly overwhelmed. They informed us that only one doctor is available for the entire children’s emergency ward. My daughter is struggling to breathe, and I fear how much longer she can hold on. This strike is costing lives.”
The maternity wards are equally strained, with midwives managing laboring mothers while doctors are summoned only for urgent cases.
“I was scheduled for a cesarean section, but it has been postponed indefinitely. They said the doctors are on strike, and the only available one is occupied with a complex surgery. I have no choice but to quickly find funds to transfer to a private hospital before anything happens to my baby. I’m terrified for both of us,” shared an expectant mother.
A senior nurse at Kubwa General Hospital, speaking anonymously, warned, “If this strike continues, we will witness preventable fatalities-not only among critical patients but also due to the ripple effect. Patients with treatable conditions will worsen without timely care.”
When reached for comment, a senior official from the FCTA Health Services and Environment Secretariat, who preferred to remain unnamed due to media restrictions, stated that the minister is aware of the doctors’ demands and plans to address them upon his return to Abuja.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) initiated the strike following an emergency congress on Sunday, after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the FCT administration.
The doctors’ grievances include six months of unpaid salaries, a critical shortage of medical personnel, and outstanding allowances.
In an interview, Dr. Affiong Agbo, the ARD general secretary in the FCTA, expressed the deep frustration and desperation that led to the strike.
“We have repeatedly appealed and engaged in dialogue for payment, but the government appears unwilling. The only response we receive is that the budget lacks funds,” Agbo lamented.
She further highlighted that doctors hired since 2023 to fill vacancies have yet to receive salaries for up to half a year, pushing many into financial hardship.
With just over 300 doctors available to serve millions of FCT residents, the workload has become dangerously excessive.
“We are overwhelmed. In some hospitals, one doctor is performing the duties of five to ten doctors. For instance, during my shifts, I cover accident and emergency, pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, and occasionally obstetrics and gynecology,” she explained.
