Doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, ARD-FCTA, Monday commenced an indefinite strike following the expiration of a seven-day warning strike.
The association’s congress met on Sunday to deliberate on the next line of action, as members hinted that a total shutdown of services in inevitable.
The association had embarked on a seven-day warning strike last Monday to press home its demands, following months of unresolved negotiations with the FCTA.
Also read:Â Resident doctors begin nationwide warning strike
The doctors are demanding the payment of salary arrears, ranging from one to six months, owed to members employed since 2023.
They also want the immediate recruitment of new staff, settlement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and payment of arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
In addition, they are asking for clear timelines for completing skipping and conversion processes for all members, along with the settlement of all accumulated arrears.
They further called on the FCTA to address continuous erroneous deductions from members’ salaries and to rectify the irregular and erratic salary payment pattern.
They also demanded the conversion of post-Part II Fellows to the Consultant cadre within six months of passing, as well as documented timelines for promotion exercises with full arrears paid.
Other demands include payment of wage award arrears, renovation and equipping of FCTA hospitals to world-class standards, payment of outstanding hazard allowance arrears, and settlement of salary arrears owed to newly employed external residents who are currently owed three to four months’ pay.
Meanwhile, the one-week warning strike by the doctors, which began last Monday, disrupted health services across the FCT, leaving hospitals to operate skeletal services only.
Strikes have repeatedly crippled healthcare delivery in the FCT, exposing deep-rooted challenges in Nigeria’s public health system, such as underfunding, brain drain, and infrastructural decay. Patients are often the worst hit, forced to seek care in private hospitals where costs are significantly higher.
The association had earlier said that at the end of the warning strike, the doctors would reconvene to reassess the commitments and progress made and decide on the next possible line of action.
It also threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if meaningful dialogue is not held within days to address their long-standing grievances, particularly the acute shortage of manpower in district and general hospitals.
Crediblenewsng.com
