Skeletal services were recorded in hospitals across the FCT on Monday as the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT Chapter, commenced a seven-day warning strike.
At Asokoro District Hospital, some doctors were still seen attending to patients shortly after the strike was announced, though they were overwhelmed by the large number of patients.
A senior citizen who came for his routine medical check-up expressed worry, saying: “Authorities in the FCTA have not said anything so far. My fear is that we remain helpless even with our money when medical facilities are not working. If those meant to care for us are absent, where do we turn—pastors or traditional healers?”
Another patient recovering from surgery lamented, “Most people cannot afford private hospitals. The government hospitals are the only hope for the poor because their drugs are subsidized. A seven-day warning strike will have a terrible effect on citizens’ health. I appeal to the federal government and the FCT Administration to address the doctors’ demands.”
At the National Hospital, where operations are under federal authority, patients with prior appointments also expressed fear that the strike might spread, noting that reliance on private hospitals would add to the economic burden on residents.
They urged a quick resolution of the dispute, stressing that existing facilities are already overstretched. “FCTA should try to avoid these situations. Facilities are not enough, people overcrowd the hospitals, and pressure keeps mounting. If patients are forced to private hospitals in this economy, what will be their fate?” one patient asked.
The FCT chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors said the strike was to press for urgent action on manpower shortages, non-functional equipment, unpaid allowances, and poor working conditions in FCT hospitals.
