Strike: Consider our welfare to prevent indefinite shutdown of hospitals, FCT doctors tell Wike

The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has commenced a three-day warning strike over unpaid salaries, allowances, and other demands. The strike has grounded activities accross government hospitals in Abuja. Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, President of ARD-FCTA, Dr George Ebong, said the strike came after a three-week ultimatum issued last […]

The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has commenced a three-day warning strike over unpaid salaries, allowances, and other demands.

The strike has grounded activities accross government hospitals in Abuja.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, President of ARD-FCTA, Dr George Ebong, said the strike came after a three-week ultimatum issued last year by the doctors elapsed.

While decrying the neglect of hospitals and doctors’ welfare in the nation’s capital, he stressed that doctors in Abuja had become abandoned projects.

He called on the Minister of FCT, Nyesome Wike, to intervene to avoid an indefinite shutdown of hospitals.

According to him, the decision to embark on the three-day warning strike is a fallout from its members’ Congress held on Tuesday.

He said: “The three-day strike is being implemented across all government hospitals in Abuja. From Wuse to Asokoro, Maitama, Kubwa, Zuba, Kwali, Abaji, and Nyanya, and other all of our hospitals in Abuja.

“We gave the government a three-week ultimatum to meet our demands, and after that we met with them and dialogued on several occasions. They pleaded for two weeks, but after that elapsed, nothing has been done. Not even the minimum thing. We expected them to pay for the 6 months of unpaid arrears to doctors.

“Honestly, doctors have been abandoned projects. Just as the roads are being constructed, the welfare of doctors should be considered by the minister.

“After this three-day strike, we will do an appraisal. If nothing is done, we will go on an indefinite strike.

“We want the Minister of FCT to solve this problem to avert an indefinite shutdown of the hospitals in Abuja.”

Recall that in December 2024, ARD-FCTA warned of an impending shutdown over failure to meet its demands.