Benin, Edo – The five-day warning strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has plunged Nigeria's public healthcare system into chaos, with federal hospitals across the country scaling back operations and turning away desperate patients.

Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 12, the industrial action—set to run until Tuesday, September 16—is a stark protest against the federal government's failure to address longstanding welfare issues, including unpaid salaries, training funds, and inadequate working conditions.

NARD, representing thousands of resident doctors in training at tertiary institutions, issued the strike following an Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting on September 10, where members unanimously resolved to halt services after a 24-hour ultimatum to the government expired unmet.

In a statement signed by NARD President Dr. Osundara Tope Zenith and General Secretary Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku, the association highlighted key grievances:

The non-release of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to eligible doctors, five months of arrears from the 25-35% Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review, unpaid 2024 accoutrement allowances, and delays in specialist allowances and certificate recognitions.

"This action is regrettable but necessary," Dr. Zenith stated in the communique. "Resident doctors form the backbone of emergency, surgical, and specialized care in our hospitals. The government's inaction has left us no choice but to withdraw services to draw attention to these critical issues."

The strike is described as "total," affecting operating theaters, intensive care units, wards, clinics, and diagnostic services nationwide, though some hospitals have deployed consultants and non-resident staff for minimal emergency coverage.

The impact has been immediate and severe.

Reports from major federal facilities like the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Abuja University Teaching Hospital, and others indicate long queues of patients being redirected to already overburdened private clinics or turned away entirely.

Health experts warn that the action could exacerbate Nigeria's fragile healthcare infrastructure, where public hospitals handle the bulk of the population's needs amid chronic underfunding and staff shortages.

In Benin City, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH)—one of the South-South region's premier medical centers—has been at the epicenter of the disruption.

Resident doctors at UBTH joined the nationwide shutdown, leaving the facility operating on a skeleton crew. Patients arriving for routine and emergency care have faced delays, with non-essential services suspended and elective surgeries postponed.

One heart-wrenching story emerging from UBTH underscores the human toll. Mrs. Gloria Abibu, rushed her husband, Mr. Anthony Abibu, to the hospital's emergency ward on Thursday night, September 12, after his chronic kidney failure symptoms worsened dramatically.

"He was gasping for air, his body swollen from fluid buildup," Mrs. Abibu recounted tearfully outside the hospital gates on Friday.

"We got there around 10 p.m., and they placed him on oxygen right away. The nurses were kind, but we knew time was critical—he needs dialysis urgently. Only for them to come this (Friday) morning that they're on strike," she said.

According to her, the doctors explained that they could not continue, and were told to seek care elsewhere.

In a frantic search for alternatives, the family first tried St. Philomena Catholic Hospital in Benin City, only to find it overwhelmed with diverted patients from UBTH. Their next stop was a nearby private hospital, but even there, the influx of patients from federal institutions had stretched resources thin.

Exhausted and out of options, the Abibus had no choice but to return home, where Mrs. Abibu is now managing her husband's condition with basic medications and close monitoring.

However, sources within the UBTH report that even basic services like laboratory tests and imaging have been curtailed, forcing patients like the Abibus into a perilous limbo.

The strike's timing—amid rising cases of tropical diseases and post-rainy season health challenges—has amplified fears of a public health crisis. Previous NARD actions, such as a 2023 indefinite strike, were suspended only after partial concessions on salary arrears.

As the second day of the strike unfolds, families like the Abibus wait in uncertainty, highlighting the urgent need for dialogue.