FCT doctors overworked… some relying on antidepressants, says ARD

The Association of Resident Doctors, federal capital territory (ARD-FCT), has urged the government to urgently address rising challenges in the city’s health sector.

Speaking after the association’s 3rd quarter ordinary general meeting on Thursday, George Ebong, the association’s president in FCT, described the territory’s health system as a long-standing systemic failure requiring comprehensive and immediate reform.

Ebong called for urgent intervention in areas like manpower shortages, non-functional equipment, poor working conditions, and unpaid staff allowances. He warned that continued neglect could cause systemic collapse.

“Our hospitals are not even 20th century compliant. X-ray machines have been non-functional for years,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“Dialysis patients are turned away due to consumable shortages. Even the few working machines frequently break down.”

He said doctors in the FCT were under immense pressure, frequently covering multiple departments.

“This mental and physical overload has led some colleagues to rely on antidepressants just to stay functional,” he said.

Ebong advised the FCT administration to prioritise healthcare workforce development, noting that since the last major recruitment in 2011, many doctors had left due to retirement, death, or emigration without replacement.

“In some hospitals, one doctor handles up to 60 patients overnight. This situation is neither safe for the patients nor sustainable for the healthcare workers responsible for their care,” he added.

The association also raised concerns over unpaid salaries, delayed promotions, and underpayment of promoted staff, urging the government to act swiftly to boost healthcare worker morale and restore service efficiency.

He noted that funds were often spent on less critical projects, while urgent needs like supplies and staffing were overlooked.

“We cannot give our best while working under these conditions. Doctors are human too. Our ability to care for others depends on the system supporting us in return,” he said.

To underscore the urgency, the association gave the FCT administration a one-week deadline to begin meaningful reforms, especially on staffing and welfare, threatening a one-week warning strike if unmet.

Responding at the meeting, Adedolapo Fasawe, mandate secretary for health services and environment secretariat, assured that the FCT minister’s administration is committed to strengthening healthcare delivery across the capital.

She said appointment letters for 60 house officers, 70 pharmacists, and 60 laboratory scientists would soon be issued.

“Outstanding allowances are also being processed alongside efforts to improve health insurance and drug supply,” she said.