Strike Averted: Relief at LASUTH as Doctors Return to Work

By Hunvio Elizabeth  Relief swept through the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja on Monday morning as doctors resumed full duti...

By Hunvio Elizabeth 

Relief swept through the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja on Monday morning as doctors resumed full duties following the suspension of a planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors. Patients who had braced for another painful disruption in healthcare services were instead met with open clinics, functioning wards and resident doctors back at their posts.

The strike suspension came late Sunday night after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of NARD. The decision effectively halted what the association had earlier described as a Total Indefinite and Comprehensive Strike which was scheduled to begin at midnight.

At LASUTH, the mood was markedly different from the tension of the previous days. Only hours earlier, the LASUTH Association of Resident Doctors had announced total compliance with the strike directive, raising fears of a complete shutdown of services at one of Lagos State’s busiest tertiary hospitals. By dawn, however, consultations were ongoing and routine clinical activities had resumed.

The sudden turnaround followed high level interventions, including the involvement of Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as a restraining order issued by the National Industrial Court. These developments, according to NARD leaders, made it necessary to pause the industrial action and allow room for further engagement with the government.

Despite the relief, the issues that pushed the doctors to the brink remain unresolved. Central to the dispute is a 19 point Memorandum of Understanding signed in late 2025, which the doctors say has largely been ignored. Their demands include the payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, the immediate reinstatement of five doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, and urgent intervention to address deteriorating medical equipment across tertiary hospitals nationwide.

For resident doctors at LASUTH, local grievances have also lingered. These include long abandoned resident quarters and unpaid advancement arrears, issues they say directly affect morale and productivity.

NARD Secretary General Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim described the suspension as strategic and conditional, stressing that it should not be mistaken for a resolution of the crisis. He said the association had given the government until January 25 2026 to demonstrate tangible progress on all outstanding demands.

A LASUTH ARD representative echoed this position, noting that doctors returned to work largely out of concern for patients. According to him, the suspension is a window for the government to act, warning that failure to reflect doctors concerns in the 2026 budget could reopen the dispute.

For now, patients with appointments at LASUTH and other state run facilities have been advised to proceed as planned, as services are running at full capacity. However, with the deadline just days away, the health sector remains on edge, with many watching closely to see whether the relief enjoyed today will hold beyond January 25.

The last minute reprieve has once again highlighted the fragile state of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s health sector and the urgent need for sustained dialogue to prevent recurring disruptions that place patients at the centre of every standoff.

Photo Credit: Bolu Asala