Strike shuts down Enugu Neuropsychiatric Hospital as Medical Director faces multiple court cases

Healthcare delivery in Enugu has collapsed after workers at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu (FNHE) downed tools, grounding the South-East’s key psychiatric facility, according to SaharaReporters. The indefinite strike by JOHESU and NANNM stems from a dispute over a ‘same-scale promotion’ policy that workers say illegally froze salary progression despite promotion exams, violating a 2017 Federal Ministry of Health circular banning such practices.

Complicating the crisis, Medical Director Dr. Unaogu Ngozika is facing multiple court battles and contempt proceedings, including orders voiding her appointment and directing reinstatement of a predecessor. Union leaders blame management failures and legal distractions for worsening paralysis. With patients abandoned and emergency care halted, stakeholders are urging federal intervention before the region’s stand-alone psychiatric facility collapses.