Resident Doctors Threaten Strike Over Proposed Penalties for Emergency Delays

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has formally rejected a proposed amendment to the National Health Act that would impose a six-month jail term or a fine of up to N300,000 on healthcare professionals for delays in emergency medical treatment. According to a statement issued by NARD leadership, including President Dr. Ogar Emmanuel Idoko, the association is prepared to initiate a nationwide industrial action if the National Assembly proceeds with the legislation.

The Proposed Legislation

The bill, which has reportedly passed its second reading in the Senate, aims to establish mandatory timelines for emergency medical services and referrals. It includes specific sanctions for both individual practitioners and medical facilities that fail to meet these requirements. While the stated goal is to ensure prompt care and professional accountability, NARD argues that the current framework of the bill is overly punitive and fails to account for the realities of the Nigerian healthcare environment.

NARD’s Argument: Systemic Failures vs. Individual Blame

In their official response, NARD leadership emphasized that doctors should not be criminalized for systemic failures that are beyond their control. The association highlighted several critical obstacles that currently hinder the delivery of emergency care, including:

• Obsolete medical equipment and diagnostic tools.
• Severe shortages of medical personnel.
• Unreliable electricity and infrastructure.
• Inadequate emergency supplies.

NARD contends that the National Assembly is prioritizing penalties for practitioners while failing to address the underlying lack of investment in the sector. Specifically, the association pointed to Nigeria’s ongoing failure to meet the 15 percent health-sector budget allocation target established by the Abuja Declaration.

Concerns Over Brain Drain

Beyond the immediate threat of imprisonment, NARD warned that the proposed legislation could exacerbate the ongoing “brain drain” of skilled medical professionals. The association argued that creating an increasingly hostile working environment will likely drive more doctors to seek employment abroad. They urged lawmakers to instead focus on legislation that guarantees adequate funding, sets minimum standards for emergency care, and ensures accountability for institutional failures rather than individual clinicians.

Call for Consultation and Reform

NARD has called for the withdrawal of the punitive provisions and requested wider consultations with stakeholders, including hospital administrators, patient representatives, and medical associations. Furthermore, the association challenged public officeholders to demonstrate confidence in the domestic public health system by utilizing government-owned facilities for their own medical needs, rather than seeking care overseas. NARD maintained that the responsibility for fixing the healthcare system cannot be addressed by threatening medical staff with incarceration.

As of the time of reporting, the National Assembly has not released a formal response to NARD’s ultimatum regarding the potential for a nationwide strike.

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p class=”vbna-source-note”>Source: Daily Post Nigeria

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