Nigerian hospitals struggle to cope as nurses’ strike enters fourth day

Public hospitals across Abuja and Lagos are struggling to function as the nationwide strike by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) entered its fourth day, leaving wards empty, critical services interrupted, and patients stranded

When PREMIUM TIMES visited Wuse General Hospital in Abuja on Friday, the usually active female surgical ward was nearly deserted, with just a few patients in sight.

Some patients lay quietly in bed, while others had been discharged earlier than medically advised.
One of the affected patients, a woman who asked not to be named, said her son had to leave the hospital prematurely due to the absence of nurses to provide adequate care.

“Truly, it’s not funny. Doctors work hand in hand with nurses. Without nurses, doctors cannot comfortably do the work,” she said.

“My son was not due, but they had to discharge him.”

Visibly distressed, she added that she had to dress a leg wound herself that morning because there were no nurses available.

“They said I need debridement, but that cannot happen without nurses. The doctors are trying, but they can’t do everything.”

Despite her ordeal, she expressed support for the nurses’ strike: “Nurses hardly go on strike; it is usually doctors. So for them to go on strike now, the government must have pushed them. Nurses, doctors, and teachers are people you should not play with in this country. The government should answer their cry.”

Wards emptied, services halted

A similar situation was observed at the National Hospital, Abuja, where wards were empty and only skeletal services were being rendered.

A doctor who asked not to be named confirmed that most patients had been sent home due to a lack of nursing support.

“There is a total shutdown. Most of our patients require full-time nursing care, especially those undergoing chemotherapy. Without nurses, we can’t monitor them. So we had to send them home,” he said.

He also confirmed that emergency cases had been compromised due to the shortage of staff. The doctor warned that if the strike continues, the impact on patients will be devastating.

At Asokoro District Hospital and Maitama District Hospital, consultation rooms were locked, waiting areas were empty, and there were no nurses on duty.

At Maitama, the emergency unit and pharmacy were also locked. Doctors on-site declined to speak, saying they were not authorised to comment.

Partial operations resume in Lagos

In Lagos, activities at some public hospitals, such as Alimosho General Hospital, Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), had partially resumed by Friday.

This follows the end of a three-day warning strike by the Medical Guild earlier in the week. However, the ongoing nurses’ strike continues to hinder full-scale operations.

Unlike during the doctors’ strike, some patients were being attended to. A doctor at the critical care unit of LASUTH stated that they were operating with the assistance of locum nurses.

At Alimosho General Hospital, dozens of patients were seen receiving care in some departments, except the paediatric ward, which remained shut.

At the maternity clinic and child complex, PREMIUM TIMES observed dozens of pregnant women and nursing mothers waiting to be attended to. A pregnant woman told our reporter that those with appointments were being attended to.

“If you have an appointment today, they will attend to you,” she said.

However, not all departments were functioning normally. Adunola Muda, who brought her daughter to the chest clinic, said she arrived around 10 a.m. but experienced delays.

“About two hours after my arrival, a health worker asked me to go to Aregbe Health Centre to get some drugs for my daughter’s cough. They said the drugs were not available here. I learnt that those who supply the drugs are on strike,” she said.

Johnson Emmanuel, a civil engineer, brought his toddler to the paediatric clinic after noticing pus from her nose. Mr Emmanuel said he had come a day earlier but was turned away.

“I was here yesterday. I collected a card for her and was told that there is no doctor to attend to her. This doesn’t make sense. If there’s any facility that should never be on strike, it shouldn’t be the health sector,” he said.

A security officer at the paediatric unit confirmed that the department was still not attending to patients.

Background to strike

The seven-day warning strike began on 29 July and was declared by NANNM-Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) after the federal government failed to act on a 15-day ultimatum issued on 14 July.

The strike affects federal public health institutions across Nigeria and was prompted by long-standing complaints about poor welfare, substandard working conditions, and unresolved policy issues.

The union is demanding the reversal of a 27 June circular by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), adjustment of shift and call duty allowances, mass recruitment of nurses, implementation of a 25 per cent CONHESS adjustment for nurses in Oyo State, and improved hazard allowances, especially for nurses at the local government level.

In Lagos, the situation was further worsened by a separate three-day warning strike by doctors under the Medical Guild.

Throughout the week, PREMIUM TIMES reporters visited public hospitals in both Lagos and Abuja to monitor the effects of the strike. They observed widespread disruptions in outpatient care, largely empty wards, and staff shortages in key departments.

No suspension yet

Although there were reports on Friday suggesting that the strike had been suspended following a meeting with government officials, NANNM officials have denied this.

Murakiyo Olajide, national chairman of NANNM-FHI, told PREMIUM TIMES that the union has not suspended the strike and is still consulting widely before making any decision.

“It is not true. We have procedures in place whenever we initiate or suspend strike actions. Those procedures have not been followed, and the union has not issued any statement to that effect,” Mr Olajide said.

The union is, however, expected to meet with its members over the weekend, brief them about the government’s offer, and possibly suspend the strike,

The strike is scheduled to end on 5 August. Union officials say further decisions will depend on the outcome of consultations and ongoing discussions with the federal government.

Source: Premium Times