NARD IS STRIKING AGAIN… AND HONESTLY, ARE WE SURPRISED?

NARD STRIKES

The Nigerian Association of Resident doctors, NARD is going on strike starting January 12. At this point, I don’t even feel surprised. NARD makes an announcement, the government says, “we’ll look into it”, three months later nothing happens, and then strike. Rinse and repeat, It’s like a broken record.

Why They Keep Striking

Resident doctors are not striking for fun, they’re not lazy and they’re obviously not greedy. They’re literally the ones keeping hospitals alive, they do night shifts, weekend calls, surgeries that last forever, ward rounds when most of us are still dreaming about breakfast.

And what do they get for all of that? Late salaries, missing allowances, training that feels endless, promotions that somehow never make sense. Imagine trying to save lives while your own bills are piling up and you’re lucky if you sleep for a few hours.

The Real Victims

Of course, the people who suffer the most are the ordinary Nigerians. Pregnant women trying to get antenatal care, accident victims hoping someone will help, families praying their kids don’t fall sick during strike week and then there’s people complaining about doctors while forgetting how much these doctors already sacrifice.

The Endless Loop

Strikes like this are becoming almost normal. You see it coming, you brace for it, you plan around it and when it finally happens, it’s still painful and then the cycle starts again. Nothing feels new, nothing feels fixed but still, people get sick, appointments are missed and families are stressed.

It’s frustrating, yes, but it’s also a reminder of how much these doctors give, day after day, even when the system around them doesn’t make it easy.

January 12 is coming, the strike is coming and once again, we’ll feel the weight of what it really means to rely on them.