Resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory have commenced a seven-day warning strike, after government failed to meet their demands, coupled with severe understaffing and decaying infrastructure.
In a communique signed by the president of the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT chapter (ARD-FCT), Dr. George Ebong, the striking doctors accused the authorities of running the system aground and forcing doctors to work under inhumane conditions.
The doctors who expressed deep concerns at the systemic failure in the health sector in the FCF cited acute manpower shortages, broken equipment, unpaid allowances, and poor working conditions that have left healthcare workers overstretched and demoralised.
“Doctors in the FCT are under immense pressure, many of us are forced to cover multiple departments daily. The government’s neglect is not only dangerous to health workers but puts patients at risk. This health system is at the brink of collapse.”
The association which gave the FCT administration one week to begin genuine reforms,also listed unpaid salaries, delayed promotions, underpayment of promoted staff, and the government’s refusal to address the welfare of healthcare professionals as key reasons for the strike.
