THE MEDICAL Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, Prof. Saad Ahmed, has warned that ongoing strikes by health unions could threaten healthcare delivery nationwide.
He urged sustained dialogue to avert disruptions and ensure the continued provision of essential health services across the country.
Ahmed made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, amid the lingering industrial action by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The appeal also followed the planned resumption of strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
He said effective healthcare delivery in tertiary hospitals depended on teamwork, stressing that all categories of health workers were critical to quality service delivery.
“This strike has lingered, and as we all know, hospital work is a team effort. Everybody is important,” he said.
Ahmed acknowledged that JOHESU’s demands were legitimate, noting that the Federal Government was already engaging the union, but appealed for a suspension of the strike while negotiations continued.
He also urged NARD, which planned to resume industrial action from Jan. 12, to allow dialogue to continue, noting that several of its demands had already been addressed.
“Negotiations involve compromise. If significant progress has been made, there should be room to suspend action and resolve outstanding issues through dialogue,” he said.
Ahmed warned that simultaneous strikes by JOHESU and NARD would place enormous strain on healthcare facilities, though hospitals would strive to maintain emergency services.
He added that medical directors nationwide were working to ensure the continuation of essential services and appealed to the unions to suspend strike actions in the interest of Nigerians’ access to quality healthcare.
NAN reports that JOHESU commenced an indefinite strike on Nov. 15, 2025, while NARD, after suspending a nationwide strike in Nov. 2025, has announced plans to resume action over unresolved welfare and work-condition issues. (NAN)
