The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCT), has warned of an imminent strike if urgent steps are not taken to rescue the collapsing health system in the nation’s capital.
At its third-quarter ordinary general meeting in Abuja, the doctors described the FCT health sector as one plagued by manpower shortages, outdated equipment, unpaid allowances, and worsening working conditions. ARD-FCT President, Dr. George Ebong, said hospitals in the territory were operating under conditions unfit even for the 20th century.
“Our hospitals are not even 20th-century compliant. X-ray machines have been non-functional for years. Dialysis patients are turned away because consumables are unavailable, and the few working machines break down constantly,” Dr. Ebong told journalists.
He added that doctors in the FCT are overworked to breaking point, often covering multiple departments without adequate support. “This mental and physical overload has forced some colleagues to rely on antidepressants just to stay functional,” he revealed.
Highlighting the depth of the crisis, Ebong noted that the last major recruitment exercise was conducted in 2011. Since then, retirements, deaths, and mass emigration have left hospitals with dangerously low staff levels. “In some hospitals, one doctor attends to as many as 60 patients overnight. This is unsafe for patients and unsustainable for doctors,” he warned.
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The association also raised alarm over unpaid salaries, delayed promotions, and underpayment of promoted staff, stressing that morale in the sector had collapsed. Ebong accused the FCT Administration of prioritizing less critical projects over essential health needs, urging that frontline professionals be involved in decision-making to ensure resources are channeled appropriately.
As a show of urgency, ARD-FCT issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to address staffing shortages, unpaid allowances, and welfare issues, failing which doctors would embark on a one-week warning strike.
Responding, the Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, assured that the FCT Minister was committed to strengthening healthcare delivery across the capital. She disclosed that appointment letters for 60 house officers, 70 pharmacists, and 60 laboratory scientists were ready to be issued, while outstanding allowances were already being processed.
Dr. Fasawe further promised improvements in drug supply and health insurance coverage, adding that the administration was determined to restore confidence in the health system.
The looming strike threat, however, has intensified pressure on the government to act swiftly, with many warning that failure to intervene could paralyze healthcare services in Abuja.
