The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared a seven-day nationwide warning strike over the abduction of one of their own, Ganiyat Popoola. Popoola, a registrar in the department of ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, alongside her husband and nephew.
The doctors' union made the decision to embark on the strike during an emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting on Sunday. According to Dele Abdullahi, the NARD president, the strike is set to commence by midnight today and will be a total shutdown, with no concessions or emergency care provided during the seven-day period.
Popoola's husband was released in March after discussions with the abductors, but Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity. This incident has prompted the resident doctors, who are medical school graduates training as specialists and dominate emergency wards in Nigerian hospitals, to take this drastic action.
In July, the association had already issued a two-week ultimatum to the government over Popoola's abduction, but their demands have not been met, leading to the decision to stage a nationwide warning strike.
Resident doctors play a crucial role in frontline healthcare in Nigeria, and their absence during this strike could have significant implications for the country's healthcare system. The decision to withdraw their services, even temporarily, underscores the gravity of the situation and the doctors' determination to secure the release of their colleague.
The abduction of Ganiyat Popoola and the subsequent refusal to meet the demands of the resident doctors have highlighted the broader issue of security challenges faced by healthcare workers in Nigeria. This strike serves as a wake-up call for the government to prioritize the safety and well-being of medical professionals who are essential to the country's healthcare infrastructure.
As the nation grapples with this situation, the success or failure of the resident doctors' strike and the government's response will have far-reaching consequences for the Nigerian healthcare system and the well-being of its citizens.
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