•Doctors’ strike
Healthcare services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) remained disrupted as the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) continued its industrial action, which entered its eighth day today.
The strike, initiated in compliance with a directive from the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), comes after prolonged but unsuccessful attempts to resolve severe welfare concerns with the LUTH management, reports Channels TV.
In a press briefing held today, the ARD outlined two primary, non-negotiable demands: the immediate completion of the Resident Doctors’ Quarters and the restoration of call duty meals.
The association said that for over 18 months, an uncompleted renovation project has denied LUTH resident doctors access to their residential quarters.
They said that resident doctors routinely work continuous shifts that extend beyond 24 hours, often working overnight to attend to critical emergencies.
The association revealed that this prolonged delay has forced many doctors — some of whom commute long distances across Lagos — to sleep in their cars, hospital lounges, and other unsuitable locations while continuing to provide essential healthcare services.
“This prolonged delay has significantly affected the welfare, safety, and well-being of doctors,” the association stated, calling on the Federal Government to urgently release the funds necessary for the Chief Medical Director to complete the renovations.
‘24-Hour Shifts Without Meals’
Equally pressing, according to the ARD, is the hospital’s alleged withdrawal of call duty meals.
They said that resident doctors routinely work continuous shifts that extend beyond 24 hours, often working overnight to attend to critical emergencies.
Because doctors cannot abandon their duty posts to procure food, the union argued that call duty meals are not a privilege, but an established welfare provision critical to delivering safe and uninterrupted patient care.
“Similar provisions exist in other federal tertiary health institutions across the country, and LUTH should not be an exception,” the ARD noted in its briefing.
Appeal For Urgent Intervention
The association concluded its briefing by calling on the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate; the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, and other well-meaning Nigerians to step in.
The doctors warned that without immediate intervention to restore basic working conditions, the disruption of healthcare services at LUTH will persist.
“Our desire has always been to remain at the bedside caring for our patients,” the association affirmed.
“However, quality healthcare cannot be sustained when the welfare and basic working conditions of healthcare workers are neglected.”
The ARD noted that it remains committed to constructive dialogue and hopes for a speedy resolution to the crisis.
