The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory has commenced a seven-day warning strike, raising alarms over what it described as systemic failures that threaten the health sector.
The industrial action was confirmed on Monday in a communiqué signed by ARD-FCT President, Dr. George Ebong, and other members of the executive.
The association said resident doctors in the territory are overstretched, with many covering multiple departments simultaneously due to manpower shortages.
“The health system in the FCT is plagued by long-standing structural and operational failures,” Ebong said. “We are under intense pressure, and if urgent reforms are not undertaken, the sector risks complete collapse.”
The doctors outlined a list of grievances, including unpaid staff allowances, delayed promotions, and underpayment of promoted staff.
They also pointed to poorly equipped facilities and non-functional medical equipment, which they argued have crippled service delivery and eroded morale among health workers.
The communiqué further demanded immediate government action to address manpower deficits, improve welfare packages, and provide functional equipment. “Frontline health professionals must be part of decision-making if real progress is to be achieved,” Ebong stressed.
According to the association, the strike is not intended to punish patients but to push the government to act decisively.
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The ARD-FCT leadership gave the FCT administration one week to demonstrate meaningful reforms, particularly in staffing and welfare, warning that failure to do so could escalate the action.
The strike comes after the National Association of Resident Doctors issued a 10-day nationwide ultimatum on September 1, threatening broader industrial action if the government failed to address its demands.
Among NARD’s concerns are unpaid Medical Residency Training Funds for 2025 and arrears from the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review.
In response, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, expressed cautious optimism that dialogue could avert a protracted shutdown.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *Sunrise Daily*, he acknowledged that about 40 per cent of residency training allowances for 2025 remain unpaid but insisted negotiations were ongoing.
“The National Association of Resident Doctors has issued an ultimatum, but we believe we are making progress,” Salako said. “We are working to resolve these issues quickly, and I hope they will be settled before the deadline lapses.”
Despite such assurances, ARD-FCT insisted that past promises by government had not been honoured, leaving many of its members demoralised.
It recalled previous ultimatums in July and September where doctors extended deadlines “in the interest of industrial harmony,” only to see little progress.
For patients in the FCT, the strike raises fresh concerns about access to medical care, especially in public hospitals already struggling with overcrowding and limited resources.
Punch
