UUTH Resident Doctors Begin Seven-Day Warning Strike Over Welfare, Salary Issues
Resident doctors at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom State have commenced a seven-day warning strike to press home demands for improved welfare and the resolution of salary-related grievances.
The industrial action, which began on Monday, October 6, 2025, followed an emergency general meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), UUTH chapter, where members unanimously agreed to withdraw their services after what they described as “prolonged neglect” by hospital management.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting and made available to journalists in Uyo on Wednesday, the association stated that the decision became inevitable after several appeals and correspondences to management failed to produce meaningful action.
The communiqué was jointly signed by ARD President, Dr. Promise Jacob, and General Secretary, Dr. Enam-Eti Akpan.
According to the document, the doctors are demanding the implementation of the correct Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) entry level for newly employed resident doctors, as well as the reissuance of appointment letters to reflect the appropriate adjustment.
They also called for the payment of outstanding salary arrears and shortfalls owed to some members since 2023, in addition to the upgrading of doctors to their proper grade levels with corresponding arrears.
Dr. Jacob noted that despite several reminders and negotiations, management had failed to address the issues, leaving the association with no alternative but to embark on the warning strike.
He emphasized that while the doctors remain committed to their duties and to patient care, the strike was a last resort aimed at compelling the hospital to meet its obligations.
Meanwhile, services at the hospital have reportedly been disrupted, with only consultants and a few medical officers attending to emergency cases. The ARD leadership warned that if their demands are not met within the seven-day window, the association may consider extending the action or escalating it into an indefinite strike .
