The ongoing industrial action by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has stretched into its third month, severely disrupting services in government-owned hospitals across Nigeria and leaving thousands of patients stranded or forced to seek care in private facilities.
The prolonged strike has brought key hospital departments such as pharmacies, laboratories, and medical records to a standstill in many federal health institutions, weakening healthcare delivery and slowing critical medical interventions.
Despite the shutdown in several federal hospitals, health workers in state-owned facilities in Ekiti and Benue states have largely continued working, helping to reduce the impact on patients. However, some state hospitals are facing pressure from separate strikes by resident doctors, nurses, and midwives over unpaid salaries, pension matters, and poor infrastructure.
At the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti (FETHI), doctors and nurses were observed on duty, while other categories of health workers stayed away. The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) in Ekiti State and immediate past JOHESU chairman at FETHI, Ayodeji Ogunrinu, described the strike as deeply regrettable.
According to Ogunrinu, the absence of allied health workers had denied both patients and hospital staff access to essential medical services. He stressed that every cadre of hospital staff plays a vital role in patient care, noting that even non-clinical workers are indispensable to the system.
He lamented that FETHI had virtually become deserted, lacking water supply, electricity, drugs, laboratory services, and other basic facilities, making patient admission nearly impossible. Ogunrinu urged the Federal Government to implement the 2018 Federal Ministry of Labour circular on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which remains the core demand of the striking workers.
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In contrast, JOHESU members at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti, have stayed off the strike. The acting chairman of the union at the facility, Adewale Adeosun, said the decision was taken out of respect for Governor Biodun Oyebanji, citing the state government’s support for the hospital.
Adeosun noted that the shutdown of federal hospitals had led to a surge in patient numbers at EKSUTH, as many patients redirected their medical needs to the state-owned facility.
Similarly, the Ekiti State JOHESU Chairman, Oluwafemi Ajoloko, said while federal health workers were on strike, those in state hospitals and primary healthcare centres remained at work, resulting in increased workload for personnel. He expressed optimism that the Federal Government would respond positively to the union’s demands in the coming weeks.
At the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, activities were noticeably reduced. Doctors at the facility said patient care and training programmes had been adversely affected, with many planned surgeries postponed since November 2025.
The JOHESU chairman at OAUTHC, Abdullateef Adeyeni, disclosed that the hospital had lost an estimated N1.5bn in internally generated revenue since the strike began. He accused the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, of showing little urgency in resolving the dispute, adding that patients were bearing the brunt of the standoff.
In Ondo State, public hospitals also recorded low patient turnout. At the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure, only doctors and consultants were seen working, while laboratories, pharmacies, and administrative offices remained shut. Many patients were said to have resorted to private hospitals due to limited services.
A patient, Mrs Remilekun Ayebo, confirmed that she now receives treatment at a private facility, visiting the government hospital only to consult her doctor.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, resident doctors said medical services were still ongoing despite the strike. However, the Ondo State chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Olumuyiwa Alonge, admitted that the absence of allied health workers had disrupted smooth operations, especially laboratory and pharmacy services.
At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), services were reported to be operating at skeletal levels, with laboratories and pharmacies closed. A union official at the hospital, Abdulazeez, criticised the slow pace of government negotiations, insisting the strike was meant to draw attention to longstanding grievances, not to punish patients.
In Lagos, similar challenges were observed at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where pharmacy and laboratory services were largely unavailable. Patients were seen purchasing drugs from private outlets, while some relatives complained of being unable to donate blood due to the absence of laboratory staff.
The chairman of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Gbolahan Adenuga, said interns and limited local staff were now handling workloads meant for larger teams, resulting in delays and inefficiencies.
Meanwhile, the JOHESU chairman in Benue State, Benjamin Ioryem, clarified that union members in the state were not participating in the strike.
