By Abel Daniel, Lafia
Medical services have been completely paralysed at the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital (FUTH) following the nationwide strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
When our reporter visited the facility, all patients on admission had been evacuated, while health workers across various units — including the emergency, outpatient, and antenatal departments — had abandoned their duty posts.
The nationwide strike, which began last Saturday, is already taking a heavy toll on citizens who depend on the hospital for healthcare.
During a monitoring exercise to ensure compliance, the NARD State President, Dr. Jude Yepowudu, led members of the association’s leadership team on an inspection tour of different sections of the hospital.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Yepowudu lamented the deteriorating working conditions of health workers, especially resident doctors in public health institutions, blaming the situation on government’s poor commitment to their welfare.
“Resident doctors form the largest portion of medical manpower in the country, yet we continue to face neglect. We are resolute in this strike — it is our collective effort to ensure improved welfare for doctors. Many of us can no longer afford to fuel our cars, pay rent, or meet basic family needs. We are tired of unfulfilled government promises,” he said.
Some patients who spoke with Vanguard expressed frustration and appealed for urgent government intervention.
Mrs. Grace Peter and Hajiya Larai Abdullahi, who had visited the hospital for antenatal care, described their experience as painful and disheartening.
“We came for antenatal services but were told to go back because doctors are on strike. We also couldn’t do our ultrasound scan. The government should quickly meet the doctors’ demands so they can return to work,” they pleaded.
As the strike continues, anxiety is rising among patients and relatives, especially those with emergency or critical conditions who are being turned away.
Meanwhile, private hospitals across Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, are witnessing a sharp increase in patient numbers as residents seek alternative medical care.
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