Resident Doctors Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Rising Att∆cks on Health Workers

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on a nationwide industrial action over the increasing cases of assaults, harassment and intimidation of healthcare workers across the country.

The association issued the warning amid growing attacks on doctors, nurses and other health professionals, accusing the Federal Government and security agencies of failing to protect healthcare workers from violence, unlawful arrests and intimidation.

NARD disclosed that at least 17 tertiary health institutions recorded attacks on healthcare personnel within the past year, warning that the trend could further disrupt healthcare services if urgent measures are not taken.

The latest controversy followed the arrest of Professor Eyo Ekpe, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a raid on the hospital.

The incident sparked outrage within the medical community and led the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Akwa Ibom State to embark on an indefinite strike while demanding N1 billion in damages from the anti-graft agency.

In a statement signed in May and made available to journalists on Saturday, NARD lamented that hospitals across the country were increasingly becoming unsafe workplaces for healthcare professionals.

The association warned that unless authorities take decisive action to halt attacks on healthcare workers and prosecute offenders before the end of its 2026 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM), industrial harmony could no longer be guaranteed.

“If by the end of May 2026 OGM, concrete, visible and decisive steps are not taken to curb this menace and bring all assailants to justice, the NARD National Officers’ Committee and other constitutional organs of the association will not guarantee industrial peace after the OGM,” the statement read.

We are, by this statement, putting the Federal Government and all relevant authorities on notice. The lives of Nigerian doctors and healthcare workers matter.

“An injury to one healthcare worker is an injury to the entire healthcare system. The time to act is now. Enough is enough!”

NARD listed affected institutions to include the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo; Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu; Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka; Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara; and General Hospital, Warri.

Others are Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki; Federal Medical Centre, Jabi; Kwara State University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin; Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu; Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo; National Hospital, Abuja; and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

The association said more than 90 per cent of the victims of the attacks were resident doctors who suffered physical injuries, emotional trauma, destruction of property and psychological distress.

NARD leadership has observed with painful dismay that over 90 per cent of the victims in these attacks are NARDites.

“Even more heartbreaking is the fact that in most of these cases, victims received nothing more than mere apology letters, while suffering severe physical injuries, emotional trauma, destruction of personal belongings and psychological scars that may never heal.”

The doctors also condemned what they described as a culture of impunity surrounding assaults on health workers.

“While some assailants were reportedly arrested and a few arraigned before courts, none have been decisively prosecuted or punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

“This failure of justice has emboldened hoodlums and even armed personnel to invade hospitals and unleash terror on innocent healthcare workers.

“Today, hospitals that ought to be sanctuaries of healing have gradually turned into battlefields and bloodshed zones.”

According to NARD, incidents that previously involved verbal abuse have now escalated into physical attacks, intimidation with weapons, destruction of valuables and invasions of doctors’ call rooms.

“What started as verbal abuse has now degenerated into brutal physical assaults, destruction of valuables, invasion of call rooms, intimidation with weapons and coordinated attacks on health workers on duty,” the association stated.

Confirming the notice to be presented to the government, NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, described the situation as alarming and unacceptable.

“For the past few months now, almost every day, you hear of a case of assault or police harassment against doctors. It has become rampant,” he said.

Recently in Akwa Ibom, security operatives who were supposed to protect citizens invaded a hospital and harassed a professor.

The hospital had to shut down for almost a week before the intervention of the EFCC chairman, who apologised and assured that the matter would be handled.”

Ibrahim warned that healthcare workers were increasingly becoming targets of public frustration despite their role in saving lives.

“It is as if the same people saving lives are the ones society now pours anger on. This must stop,” he stated.

He said the association was demanding stronger security measures in hospitals and legislative action to criminalise attacks on healthcare workers.

“There should be legislative action so that anybody caught attacking healthcare workers and charged to court will be punished accordingly. That is one of the major things we are asking for,” he said.

The NARD scribe warned that failure by government authorities to address the situation could trigger another industrial dispute in the health sector.

“This is a warning notice and ultimatum for something urgent to be done. If nothing happens, we will call our members again in the next few weeks to assess the situation and take further decisions,” Ibrahim warned.

He noted that several hospitals had already experienced disruptions due to similar incidents.

“University College Hospital, Ibadan, only recently called off its strike. FMC Owo and other centres have also faced similar crises.

“This problem is becoming rampant, patients are suffering and healthcare workers continue to face harassment. It is time for the government to take proactive measures so that innocent patients and health workers do not continue to suffer,” he added.