NARD Warns of Possible Strike Over Rising Attacks on Healthcare Workers
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned of a possible breakdown of industrial peace in the health sector if urgent measures are not taken to address the increasing cases of assaults on healthcare workers across the country.
The association said it is deeply concerned about what it described as a rising wave of violence, intimidation, and harassment targeting doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel in public health facilities nationwide.
In a statement issued on Monday by its President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, Secretary General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim, NARD said the situation has become a serious threat to the safety of health workers and the quality of healthcare delivery.
The association is demanding the enforcement of strict hospital protection policies across all health institutions, compensation for victims of assaults and damaged property, and the deployment of stronger security measures in hospitals nationwide.
It also called on the Federal Government to issue an executive order mandating the swift prosecution of anyone who assaults healthcare workers or invades medical facilities.
NARD warned that if, by the end of its May 2026 Ordinary General Meeting, “concrete, visible, and decisive steps” are not taken, its leadership may no longer be able to guarantee industrial peace in the sector.
According to the statement, the growing frequency of attacks has gone largely unpunished, creating a cycle of impunity that encourages further violence against medical personnel.
The association noted that hospitals across the country have recorded multiple incidents, including at the University College Hospital, Ibadan; FMC Owo; OOUTH Sagamu; COOUTH Awka; University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu; FMC Jalingo; National Hospital, Abuja; and others.
“These are not just statistics. These are human beings—doctors, nurses, and health workers who dedicate their lives to saving others, yet they are being beaten, threatened, humiliated, and traumatized in the very places where they work to preserve lives,” the association said.
NARD expressed concern that over 90 percent of victims in reported cases are resident doctors, adding that most incidents end with apology letters instead of proper prosecution or compensation.
It also criticised what it described as a culture of impunity, saying even when arrests are made, many cases do not proceed to court or result in conviction.
The association warned that continued inaction could worsen insecurity in hospitals and further endanger healthcare workers, some of whom may be forced to leave the country due to poor working conditions and safety concerns.
It further linked the rising attacks to broader challenges in the health sector, including manpower shortages, burnout, poor remuneration, and increasing migration of doctors abroad.
NARD called on the Federal Government, state governments, security agencies, the National Assembly, judiciary, and hospital managements to treat the matter as a national emergency, warning that failure to act could destabilise industrial relations in the health sector.
