Resident doctors commence 7-days nationwide strike

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has declared a seven-day warning strike beginning from today August 26. 

The doctors are protesting against the abduction of their colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola nearly eight months ago.

According to NARD President, Dr Dele Abdullahi, the decision to embark on a strike was taken during the Emergency National Executive Council meeting an commenced by midnight today.  

Dr Ganiyat who is a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted by unknown gunmen on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew are still being held by their abductors.

The protesting doctors say that the warning strike will last for seven days and that it will be total shut down as there will be no concessions, and there will be no emergency care given to any patient in any of the government hospitals.

This strike comes days after 20 medical students were abducted by gunmen in Benue state but were thankfully released on Saturday, August 24.