-FULL COVERAGE-
“We
Cannot Continue to Lose Our Members to Preventable and Avoidable Deaths”:
Nigeria’s Resident Doctors Enforce 24-Hour Shift Limit
In a
landmark move aimed at safeguarding the lives of medical professionals and
improving patient care, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has
implemented a nationwide directive limiting call duties to a maximum of 24
consecutive hours.
This policy, effective from October 1, 2025, marks a pivotal shift in the country’s healthcare labor practices and responds to growing concerns over burnout, exhaustion, and the tragic deaths of young doctors due to overwork.
The
decision was reached during NARD’s Annual General Meeting held in Abuja, where
members unanimously agreed that the current working conditions were
unsustainable and dangerous. Resident doctors in Nigeria have long endured
grueling schedules, often clocking more than 100 hours per week. Surgical
trainees, in particular, report working up to 122 hours weekly, translating
into four to five days of 24-hour call duty.
These
extreme workloads have led to a rise in medical errors, compromised patient
safety, and devastating consequences for the doctors themselves. In one heartbreaking
incident cited by NARD, a young doctor died in early September after completing
three consecutive days of call duty. He went to rest and never woke up, a
tragedy that galvanized the association’s resolve to act.
The new
directive mandates that no resident doctor should be on duty for more than 24
hours at a stretch. Additionally, a mandatory rest period must follow each call
duty before the doctor can resume clinical responsibilities. This policy is
rooted in the principles of self-preservation and the Hippocratic Oath, which
emphasizes the importance of the caregiver’s well-being in delivering safe and
effective care.
Nigeria’s
severe doctor shortage exacerbates the crisis. With only about 11,000 resident
doctors serving a population exceeding 240 million, the doctor-to-patient ratio
stands at a staggering 1:9,083, far below the World Health Organization’s
recommended ratio of 1:600. This shortage has placed immense pressure on the
remaining workforce, forcing doctors to take on unsafe workloads. In some
hospitals, doctors are scheduled for 25 to 31 call duties in a single month, a
practice NARD describes as “slave-like” and unacceptable.
To ensure
the successful implementation of the 24-hour shift limit, NARD has called on
the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to adopt a one-to-one
replacement policy. This would mean that every shift covered by a resident
doctor must be backed by another, preventing service gaps and maintaining
continuity of care.
The
association also demands broader structural reforms, including better funding
for training programs, timely payment of salaries and allowances, and improved
working conditions to stem the tide of medical professionals leaving the
country for better opportunities abroad.
NARD
President Dr. Mohammad Suleiman emphasized that the association will monitor
compliance across its 91 training centers through Chief Residents and Centre
Presidents. He warned that hospitals insisting on longer shifts are endangering
the lives of their staff and patients. The association has issued a 30-day
ultimatum to the federal government to respond to its demands, failing which
further industrial action may be considered.
This
policy shift coincides with Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, a moment
NARD used to reflect on the sacrifices of its members. In a poignant statement,
the association lamented, “While the nation celebrates, we quietly bury our
colleagues as the country watches in silence.”
The move
to cap call duties is not just a labor reform, it is a moral imperative to
protect those who dedicate their lives to healing others.
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