FCT resident doctors declare indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, poor welfare
The Association of Resident Doctors under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has declared an indefinite strike following the expiration of their previous seven-day warning strike.
In a communiqué issued on Monday, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, and General Secretary, Dr. Agbor Affiong, outlined the critical reasons for this action.
“The ongoing strike is driven by our unresolved issues including unpaid salary arrears, poor welfare, and the degrading conditions of FCT hospitals,” the statement read.
The warning strike had begun on September 8, 2025, to address their demands concerning unpaid salary arrears, which reportedly range from one to six months for doctors employed since 2023.
The association also highlighted non-payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), delayed promotions, and continuous salary deductions as part of their grievances.
The doctors raised concerns regarding the failure to recruit new medical officers amid a severe manpower shortage.
“This has led to stress-related deaths among health workers, creating grave, potentially catastrophic risks to both patients and doctors,” the communiqué warned.
Additionally, they pointed out the failure to pay arrears from the recently implemented 25–35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for federal health workers.
The ARD-FCTA is demanding immediate payment of all arrears, the urgent recruitment of doctors before the end of 2025, full disbursement of the MRTF, clear timelines for skipping and conversion processes, and immediate renovation of FCTA hospitals.
The association further called for a state of emergency to be declared in FCT hospitals, asserting that the nation’s capital should serve as a benchmark for healthcare delivery in Nigeria, but has instead become “a shadow of what it ought to represent.”
Source: LEADERSHIP
