FCT Resident Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unmet Demands
Resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have commenced an indefinite strike starting Monday, citing the government’s failure to meet their demands.
In a statement released late Sunday, the Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA (ARD-FCTA), announced the decision following an Emergency General Meeting held on September 14, 2025.
“The Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA, at its Emergency General Meeting held on 14th September 2025, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8:00 am, Monday, 15th September 2025,” said the association’s General Secretary, Agbor Affiong.
The group stated that the action follows management’s failure to address any of their "legitimate demands," even after a prior one-week warning strike.
The doctors emphasized that the strike would continue “until government and management show genuine commitment to the welfare of doctors and the health of FCT residents.”
The ARD-FCTA had last week embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press for improved working conditions and the payment of outstanding entitlements. Key issues raised include acute manpower shortages, poor welfare, and mental health strain among healthcare workers.
According to ARD-FCTA Chairman George Ebong, FCT’s 14 district and general hospitals are severely understaffed. “We need about 200 doctors, but we don’t have anywhere near that,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“One doctor is seeing 30 to 40 patients daily, performing up to 10 caesarean sections,” he added, noting that the strain has pushed some doctors to rely on antidepressants and antihypertensive medication.
Ebong had earlier warned that without a “meaningful dialogue,” the union would have no choice but to escalate the action into a full-blown indefinite strike.
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