The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced a seven-day nationwide warning strike in response to the ongoing abduction of Ganiyat Popoola.
Popoola, a registrar in the ophthalmology department at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew at the senior staff quarters of the eye centre. While her husband was released in March after negotiations with the abductors, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
NARD President Dele Abdullahi announced that the decision for the strike was made during an emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting on Sunday.
“The strike will begin at midnight today and will last for seven days. This is a warning strike and it will be total,” Abdullahi stated. “During this period, there will be no concessions and no emergency care provided.”
In July, NARD had given the government a two-week ultimatum regarding Popoola’s abduction. Resident doctors, who are medical school graduates undergoing specialist training, play a crucial role in emergency wards across Nigerian hospitals and are vital to frontline healthcare.
(cable)