Public hospitals across Nigeria were thrown into chaos on Monday as the doctors' strike entered its third day.
Patients waited helplessly while emergency and routine services remained crippled by the walkout.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, began an indefinite strike on November 1 over welfare, unpaid salaries, and poor working conditions.
At the National Hospital in Abuja, empty wards and deserted corridors told the story of a collapsing system.
Only a few consultants and house officers struggled to handle a sea of stranded patients.
Expectant mothers, the elderly, and surgery patients were turned away due to the absence of doctors.
"There are no doctors," one pregnant woman lamented. "They only attend to those almost due for delivery."
Another woman who came for prenatal care left heartbroken after being told no doctor was available.
For others, the situation was devastating. A patient's sister said her sibling's kidney surgery was cancelled.
"She waited a week. They finally gave her blood, but now the doctors are on strike," she said tearfully.
Some patients waited hours, hoping to be among the few selected for attention.
"There's only one doctor seeing ten patients," a man with his elderly father said. "We were lucky to arrive early."
The strike follows failed talks between NARD and the federal government over unpaid arrears and hazard allowances.
The doctors also demand new hires to replace those who have left for better opportunities abroad.
Nigeria's health system, already weakened by years of neglect, now faces deeper cracks as the strike drags on.
The Federal Ministry of Health said it has started paying over ₦33.3 billion owed to health workers.
According to officials, ₦21.3 billion was moved into the payroll system, and another ₦12 billion is being processed.
Some doctors confirmed receiving partial payments, raising hopes that the strike could soon end.
But NARD dismissed the government's claims as "half-truths."
The group said most doctors have received little or nothing despite government promises.
"Our demands are not new or unreasonable," NARD said. "They are the bare minimum for a functional health system."
The association listed over 19 unresolved issues, including unpaid promotions, salary shortfalls, and poor working conditions.
NARD revealed that some doctors still earn ₦50,000 to ₦100,000 less than they should each month.
The union also challenged the government's claim of hiring 35,000 health workers in two years.
"How many of them are doctors, and where are they posted?" NARD asked.
The association warned that Nigeria's pool of resident doctors has fallen from 16,000 to fewer than 10,000 in a decade.
"What we need is retention, not rhetoric," the group said.
Despite receiving ₦10.6 billion for residency training, NARD insisted the fund is a legal right, not a privilege.
The group also condemned the delay in reinstating two doctors dismissed from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
"Selective justice only worsens mistrust," NARD declared.
They urged the government to act before approving the 2026 budget to prevent further breakdown in talks.
NARD criticised recent policy changes by the Medical and Dental Council, calling them unfair and demoralising.
The group demanded adjustments to professional allowances to match the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.
"This struggle goes beyond money," NARD said. "It's about dignity, safety, and survival."
Doctors across Nigeria continue to leave for countries like the UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia in search of better pay.
"The 'Japa' trend isn't greed," the doctors said. "It's a fight for survival."
NARD called for urgent pension reforms and genuine dialogue, not government press releases.
"Industrial peace can't be achieved through words," they said. "Only through sincerity and justice."
As the strike continues, millions of Nigerians remain trapped between a broken health system and a government slow to act.