The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has commenced a seven-day warning strike in response to the abduction of one of their members, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who has been held captive for eight months.
According to Vanguard, the president of NARD, Dr. Dele Abdullahi announced the strike following an emergency virtual meeting of the association’s National Executive Council on Sunday.
The strike, which began at midnight on Monday, August 26, 2024, is intended as a warning but is “total in effect.”
“The strike is total, and there will be no concessions or emergency care during this period,” Abdullahi stated. “All centres, both federal and state, should ensure full compliance, even as proper handover of patients to consultants should be done.”
Abdullahi further emphasized that any medical centre found violating the strike directive would face significant penalties, including heavy fines and exclusion from participating in the upcoming NARD Annual General Meeting.
Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew.
While her husband was released in March 2024, Dr. Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
Prior to the strike action, NARD members had staged protests at various tertiary hospitals across the country to demand Dr Popoola’s release.
The association’s leadership reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safe return of their colleague, warning that the strike would continue if their demands were not met.
