The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has initiated a seven-day warning strike in response to the prolonged abduction of their colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, who has been held captive for eight months. The strike, which began at midnight on Monday, August 26, 2024, was announced by NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, during an emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Council held on Sunday.
Dr. Abdullahi emphasized that the strike is a total shutdown of medical services, with no concessions for emergency care during the period. "The strike is total, and there will be no concessions or emergency care during this period," he stated. He also directed that all federal and state medical centres ensure full compliance, warning that any centre found to have defaulted would face heavy fines and exclusion from the forthcoming NARD Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Dr. Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity. NARD members had previously staged protests across tertiary hospitals nationwide, demanding her immediate release.
This strike represents a significant escalation in NARD's efforts to secure the freedom of Dr. Popoola and her nephew, drawing attention to the ongoing insecurity and the impact on healthcare professionals in Nigeria.
