The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has warned of a possible nationwide shutdown of medical services over the Federal Government’s failure to implement a Memorandum of Understanding earlier signed with the association. According to a report from The PUNCH, NARD issued the warning in an appeal posted on X on Sunday by its Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, cautioning that the country was on the brink of a “total and indefinite comprehensive strike.”
The association said the action could resume following the government’s failure to meet agreed timelines after NARD suspended its 29-day strike on November 29. In a statement, the association said, “The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action — Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) — triggered by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour the Memorandum of Understanding freely entered into with NARD.” It added that resident doctors are overworked, demoralised, and form the backbone of tertiary healthcare delivery, urging senior medical elders to intervene, while noting that the Ministry of Health had not responded as of press time.