NARD Declares Attacks, Kidnappings of Doctors National Emergency, Gives Tinubu 21-Day Ultimatum -

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has declared the rising wave of assaults, harassment, intimidation, kidnappings and violent attacks on healthcare workers a National Health and Security Emergency. The association warned that the trend poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s healthcare system and national stability, and gave the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to take concrete action.

Under the leadership of President Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, NARD said attacks on doctors and other healthcare workers while on duty have reached an intolerable level capable of crippling the country’s already fragile health sector.

In a statement signed by Dr. Suleiman, Secretary-General Dr. Shudlibu Ibrahim and Publicity Secretary Dr. Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, the association said hospitals that should be safe havens have become dangerous environments where medical personnel face threats, violence, kidnapping and daily harassment.

According to NARD, at least 21 cases of assault on healthcare workers were reported across Nigeria in the last one year, with about 30 resident doctors directly affected. The association noted that fewer than five cases have been charged to court while only one assailant has been convicted. “What this means is that in Nigeria today, approximately every two weeks, another case of assault against a healthcare worker occurs,” the statement said.

NARD warned that continued attacks will force healthcare workers to abandon clinical services out of fear, worsen the ongoing brain drain, and discourage young doctors from staying in the profession.

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It added that emergency response and patient care could be severely compromised due to fear, anxiety and trauma among health personnel. The association also cautioned that the doctor-patient relationship could break down and Nigeria risks an unprecedented collapse of healthcare manpower without urgent intervention.

To address the crisis, NARD outlined nine demands. These include immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators, accelerated prosecution of suspects already in court, and declaration of assaults on healthcare workers as a National Health Security Emergency. The doctors also called for a comprehensive prevention and response protocol, stronger security in hospitals and emergency units, rapid response mechanisms for violence, and stiffer legislation with mandatory policies for reporting workplace violence in health facilities.

The association gave the Federal Government 21 days to commence visible actions to safeguard healthcare workers. “NARD unequivocally states that we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the Federal Government fails to treat this issue with the urgency and seriousness it deserves,” it said. The doctors stressed that hospitals must not become battlefields and that the lives, dignity and safety of Nigerian healthcare workers must be protected at all costs.