Posted on: Fri 03-10-2025

The Nigerian health system continues to grapple with enormous pressures, from inadequate infrastructure to workforce shortages, and the welfare of its doctors remains central to the crisis. Against this backdrop, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) recently announced a significant reform: the enforcement of a 24-hour call duty limit for resident doctors across the country.

 

To ensure strict compliance, NARD has resolved to monitor enforcement through Chief Residents of Departments and Centre Presidents across its 91 centres nationwide. According to NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, these officers are expected to brief the NARD National Secretariat on levels of adherence in hospitals. This structure is designed to create accountability and to guarantee that the directive moves beyond policy into practice.

 

Suleiman explained that so far, there has been no official response from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare regarding the directive. He, however, insisted that the association’s decision was both urgent and necessary in view of the crushing workload doctors face daily.

 

The scale of the problem is highlighted by Nigeria’s dismal doctor-to-patient ratio. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends one doctor to 600 patients, Nigeria’s current reality is approximately one doctor to 9,083 patients. With only about 11,000 resident doctors catering to more than 240 million people, the system is overstretched, leaving both doctors and patients at risk.

 

Patients often bear the brunt of this imbalance, waiting for long hours, receiving rushed consultations, and sometimes experiencing delayed interventions. The excessive call duty hours, which can stretch beyond safe limits, only worsen burnout among doctors and compromise patient care. By limiting call duty to 24 hours, NARD aims not only to protect its members from exhaustion but also to improve the overall quality of medical services delivered in hospitals.

 

The association’s advocacy extends beyond doctor welfare to broader health challenges confronting Nigeria. Recently, NARD raised alarm over malnutrition among children under five years, noting that more than 35 per cent of this group suffers from the condition. In a statement, the body described malnutrition as a critical public health challenge that significantly contributes to child mortality, affects cognitive development, and reduces national productivity.

 

By linking the issue of workforce burden with broader systemic problems like malnutrition, NARD highlights the urgent need for comprehensive health reforms that address both supply-side (doctor welfare and infrastructure) and demand-side (population health and nutrition) challenges.

 

To move ahead, NARD has called for stronger engagement from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in addressing the new 24-hour duty limit. The association has also promised to roll out additional measures aimed at improving doctors’ welfare and reducing burnout in the coming weeks.

 

Ultimately, the enforcement of this directive will serve as a test case for how Nigeria’s health sector manages workforce sustainability amid overwhelming challenges. As NARD continues to track compliance through its Chief Residents and 91 centre presidents, the success of this initiative may well depend on government support, hospital cooperation, and the recognition that protecting doctors’ welfare is inseparable from protecting patients’ lives.

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