Patients groan as nurses in government hospitals across Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), withdraw their services to press home their demands, as the nationwide seven-day warning strike by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) enters its second day.
The union had earlier, on July 14, 2025, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate intervention to avert a total healthcare shutdown.
Recall that key demands of the nurses are the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, creation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increase in core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health, among others.
The nurses maintained that the ongoing warning strike is necessary to press home these demands.
A visit to the General Hospital in Kubwa has revealed the impact of the ongoing nationwide strike by nurses and midwives, as critical services at the government-owned facility remain either skeletal or completely halted.
The usually bustling hospital bore a deserted look, with many wards left unattended and patients discharged prematurely due to the unavailability of essential nursing staff.
In the Emergency Male Ward, the toll of the industrial action was immediately visible as the male ward stood empty, devoid of patients.
“There are no nurses to attend to the patients. We had to discharge all of them. We will only attend to emergency cases that don’t require admission. If they’re admitted, there’s simply no one to care for them,” a medical doctor who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent.
In the Pediatric Ward, the situation was just as dire. Dozens of children and their parents sat on the benches, with some observing, standing and waiting their turns.
A doctor who rushed out of the ward but declined to be named admitted, “We’re overwhelmed. Without the nurses, our capacity is extremely limited. We can only offer basic care; beyond that, our hands are tied.”
Many of the weary parents whose faces reflected a mix of anxiety and helplessness refused to leave the hospital despite the slow pace of being attended to by the medical doctors.
“It’s only the doctors who are attending to the children. As you can see, the pace is painfully slow, since they don’t have nurses to assist them.
“The government should please listen to these nurses and their demands. This situation clearly shows that even the doctors cannot effectively function without the nurses.
“Besides caring for the patients after the doctor’s examinations and prescriptions, who will cater to the admitted patients?
“Taking vital signs of the new patients and other basic things like that, would the doctors do that for everyone before they start to get overwhelmed?
“Government should please listen to the nurses because not everyone has the resources to go to private hospitals,” a concerned mother complained.
At the Record Office, patients were seen collecting their cards as usual, despite the absence of nurses.
Some were there for antenatal checkups, others for routine cases, but all shared the same frustration considering the longer wait times and limited care.
The Radiology Department appeared to be functioning with minimal disruption, while the Laboratory remained fully operational, offering a rare semblance of normalcy.
However, services at the Labour Theatre were severely reduced.
Staff reported that the last patient was discharged by a doctor earlier in the day. The wards were empty.
“This is the best time for me to get my hair done. “There’s nothing else to do; I don’t like being idle, but nobody is attending to us.”
A medical doctor attached to the ward was overheard telling a friend how she had been overworked the previous day, having to perform tasks typically handled by nurses due to their absence.
At the Eye Clinic, the absence of nurses was deeply felt.
“We’re struggling. It’s hard to run smoothly without the nurses; they are crucial to the flow of patients and post-examination care,” said a technician.
In contrast, the Special Clinic was largely unaffected, with consultations continuing as usual.
At the Dental Clinic, staff confirmed that the absence of nurses had not significantly disrupted services.
Meanwhile, private hospitals in the town reported no significant change in patient volume.
At one private facility, a staff member told our correspondent that operations were running normally.
“We haven’t noticed any appreciable influx of patients. Our facilities are not overstretched. If the strike drags on, the situation might change, but for now, we’re managing just fine.”
Despite this calm front, many private practitioners acknowledged the possibility of increased pressure if the strike is prolonged, particularly in emergency and maternity services.
It was the same situation at the National Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, where slow medical services were observed as patients waited for hours to be attended to.
Long queues were observed at the General Out-Patient Department, Immunisation Section, Consultation Section, and Surgical Out-Patient Department.
“The staff here are attending to us, but the long wait is frustrating, and I still need to go to the office,” a tired patient at the hospital said.
It is, however, gathered that the Union and the government have begun a roundtable discussion to review the situation to resolve the impasse as soon as practicable.
