The ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has entered its third month, paralysing activities in government-owned hospitals across Nigeria and leaving thousands of patients stranded. The prolonged industrial action has severely disrupted healthcare delivery, forcing many Nigerians to seek essential medical services outside public health facilities or abandon treatment altogether.
Since the strike began in late 2025, critical services in federal health institutions have been largely grounded. Hospital pharmacies, laboratories, records units, and other support departments remain shut, making it difficult, and in many cases impossible, for doctors and nurses who are still on duty to function effectively. The absence of these essential services has rendered several tertiary hospitals unable to admit patients or carry out routine and emergency procedures.
While the impact has been most severe in federal hospitals, the situation has been somewhat different in some state-owned facilities. In Ekiti and Benue states, many health workers in state hospitals have remained at work, helping to cushion the effect of the strike on patients. However, this has come at a cost, as the influx of patients from federal institutions has significantly increased the workload on personnel in state facilities.
At the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti (FETHI), medical doctors and nurses were observed attending to patients, but most allied health workers stayed away from duty. This imbalance has left the hospital struggling to function. According to the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Ekiti State Council, and immediate past chairman of FETHI JOHESU, Ayodeji Ogunrinu, the prolonged strike has had devastating consequences.
Ogunrinu described the situation as unfortunate, noting that both members of the public and hospital staff had been deprived of lifesaving services. He stressed that healthcare delivery depends on the collective contribution of all categories of workers. “Every worker in a health facility is important,” he said. “Even the cleaner, even the health assistant. I am in physiotherapy, so I understand the critical roles they play.”
He lamented that FETHI now resembled a ghost town, lacking water, electricity, drugs, laboratory services, and other essentials. According to him, it has become nearly impossible for any medical officer to admit patients under such conditions. Ogunrinu urged the Federal Government to implement the provisions of the 2018 circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour, which provides for the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS) for JOHESU members, the core demand behind the strike.
In contrast, at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti, JOHESU members have remained at work. The Acting Chairman of the union at EKSUTH, Adewale Adeosun, said the decision not to join the strike was taken as a mark of honour and appreciation for the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.
Adeosun noted that the strike in federal hospitals had led to a surge in patient numbers at EKSUTH. “If you come to EKSUTH now, it is just like a market,” he said. “Patient turnout has increased because those who would have gone to federal hospitals are now coming here.” He added that the state government had invested significantly in the facility, making it unfair for workers to down tools.
The JOHESU State Chairman in Ekiti, Oluwafemi Ajoloko, expressed optimism that the Federal Government would meet the union’s demands within a short time. He said health workers in state-owned hospitals and primary healthcare centres had continued working, even as their colleagues in federal institutions remained on strike. However, he acknowledged that the strike had increased pressure on state facilities due to higher patient numbers.
In Benue State, a mixed picture has also emerged. While many state health workers have remained on duty, resident doctors, nurses, and midwives at some facilities, including the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi, have embarked on separate industrial actions. These actions are reportedly linked to unpaid salaries, pension concerns, and deteriorating infrastructure, further complicating healthcare delivery in the state.
At the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, activities have been significantly scaled down. Observations showed that only skeletal services were being rendered. Some doctors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strike had brought hospital operations almost to a standstill. They also noted that the industrial action was negatively affecting the training of medical personnel, as patients scheduled for surgeries since early November 2025 had yet to be attended to.
The JOHESU Chairman at OAUTHC, Abdullateef Adeyeni, said the hospital had suffered massive financial losses due to the strike. According to him, the facility had lost as much as N1.5bn in internally generated revenue over the three-month period. He stated that the Chief Medical Director had disclosed that the hospital was losing a minimum of N500m monthly as a result of the industrial action.
Beyond revenue losses, Adeyeni said hospital activities had been completely paralysed, with patients bearing the brunt. He accused the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, of being indifferent to the plight of health workers and patients. “The most annoying part is that patients are suffering and the Federal Government has turned a deaf ear,” he said.
In Ondo State, public hospitals have also witnessed a sharp decline in patronage. A visit to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure, revealed a near-deserted facility. Only doctors and consultants were seen at work, while the offices of JOHESU members, including laboratories, pharmacies, and registries, were locked. Many patients have reportedly turned to private hospitals after being unable to access adequate care in public facilities.
A patient, Mrs Remilekun Ayebo, said she now patronises a private hospital for treatment and only visits the government facility to consult her doctor. Her experience reflects the growing trend of patients abandoning public hospitals due to the strike.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, however, resident doctors said the strike had not significantly affected the services they render. Dr Olufunmilayo Dada of the National Association of Resident Doctors stated that doctors at the facility were continuing with their duties despite the absence of other health workers.
Nevertheless, the Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Olumuyiwa Alonge, confirmed that the strike had affected the smooth operation of doctors’ services. He emphasised that healthcare delivery is a team effort, noting that the absence of laboratory scientists and pharmacists forces doctors to refer patients elsewhere for basic investigations and medications.
As the JOHESU strike drags on with no clear end in sight, concerns continue to mount over its impact on patients, health workers, and the already strained public healthcare system. With hospitals losing revenue, medical training disrupted, and patients forced into more expensive private care, pressure is increasing on the Federal Government to urgently resolve the dispute and restore normalcy to Nigeria’s public health institutions.
