UCH Resident Doctors Resume Work After Month-Long Nationwide Strike

UCH resident doctors resume work after month-long nationwide strike. Resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have resumed work after a month-long nationwide strike.

Resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have resumed work after a month-long nationwide strike.

The doctors had been on strike since November 1, following the directives of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.
The NARD directed its members nationwide to embark on an indefinite strike, following the government’s failure to address their demands.
The association demands a 200 per cent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the full implementation of new allowances proposed since July 2022.

The doctors also demand immediate recruitment of clinical staff and the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks that are delaying the replacement of exited doctors, among other demands.

The president of the UCH’s NARD, Gboyega Ajibola, said that the NARD National Executive Council met on November 29 to reappraise the situation. He noted that the government had met most of their immediate and short-term demands.

According to Mr Ajibola, a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the government, enumerating each of the association’s demands and the points of execution.
“Based on the satisfactory terms of the MoU, the NARD NEC decided to suspend the industrial action and give the government a period of four weeks to reappraise the efforts of the government as contained in the signed MoU.

Resident Doctors (NARD)

“Having suspended the strike on November 29, as in the tradition of NARD, each centre was mandated to hold a congress on December 1, for all centre presidents to brief their members on development.

“After the brief, the centre presidents will direct all members to resume at their duty posts. In compliance with this, a congress was held at 8:00 a.m. today (Monday), where members were updated and directed to resume work,” he said.
Mr Ajibola explained that all members resumed work on Monday.

Plateau Recorded 2,786 New HIV Infections In 2024

Plateau recorded 2,786 new HIV infections in 2024. Mr Ba’amlong noted that there had been progress in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Ba’amlong,  has said the state recorded 2,786 new cases of HIV infections and 460 related deaths in 2024.

Mr Ba’amlong disclosed this on Monday in Jos at an event to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day, marked globally on December 1, with the theme “Overcoming Disruption: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response.”

He said that 51,370 persons were living with HIV in the state as of September 2025, comprising 14,001 males and 33,055 females.
He added that 47,056 adults and 1,835 children were currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
The commissioner explained that 98,403 persons were screened between January and September 2025, out of which 1,910 tested positive.
Mr Ba’amlong noted that there had been progress in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, adding that 30,743 pregnant women were tested within the period, and 39 who tested positive had been linked to care.
He said the state had expanded HIV testing services to more than 900 health facilities and intensified awareness on prevention and treatment.
The commissioner called for stronger community engagement, improved access to healthcare, and increased investment in research and innovation to sustain progress against the disease.

He commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for approving funds used to procure HIV dual test kits, which he said had been distributed to health facilities across the state.

Mr Ba’amlong also lauded development partners for supporting the delivery of quality healthcare services.
Similarly, the executive director of the Plateau AIDS Control Agency (PLACA), Esther Turaki, said the state had achieved a viral load suppression rate of 92 per cent as of June 2025.

Ms Turaki described the HIV Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability (DRMS) Strategy as a critical initiative aimed at standardising and scaling existing efforts while introducing innovative financing mechanisms.

Plateau

According to her, the strategy sets out a clear plan for mobilising new domestic resources by identifying funding sources, annual targets and key actions required for implementation.
She applauded Mr Mutfwang for his sustained support to the agency.

The keynote address was delivered by Chris Isichei, who urged governments to reduce reliance on donor funding and establish a dedicated HIV funding bank as external support continues to decline.

He also encouraged the Plateau State government to integrate HIV and AIDS treatment into the state’s health insurance scheme.

Lagos: Reduce Cost Of Blood, NMA Tells Sanwo-Olu

Lagos: Reduce cost of blood, NMA tells Sanwo-Olu. Mr Esegine said, “We were told that the government withdrew the subsidy on blood and that whatever subsidy there is cannot be extended to the private sector.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) have appealed to the Lagos State Government to develop mechanisms for reducing the unit cost of blood in the state.

The Lagos Chairman of NMA and ANPMP, Dr Babajide Saheed and Dr Jonathan Esegine, made the appeal in separate interviews on Saturday.

A circular dated November15, 2024, conveyed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s approval for an increase in the cost of blood screening for transfusion transmissible infections by private healthcare facilities.
The circular signed by Mrs Bukola Odoe, Special Adviser, to the Governor on Public-Private Partnership directed an increase in the cost of screening a pint of blood from N5,000 to N15,000 for the three existing private blood screening partners (Darlez, Banner & Solawunmi).

The circular further directed the Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) to ensure that the new price regime takes effect on November 18, 2024.
Every unit of blood collected by registered blood banks must be sent to one of the LSBTS-established screening centres for mandatory testing.

The LSBTS uses automated systems to screen every unit of blood for transfusion-transmissible infections, including HIV type 1 and 2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and syphilis, in line with international standards.

Consequently, members of the Blood Bank Society of Nigeria (BBSN), Lagos State Branch, held an online general meeting on November 17, 2024, during which they adjusted the prices for the issuance of blood to their customers.
According to them, the action was triggered by the state government’s sudden increase in the blood screening fee.

Thereafter, BBSN pricing for the issuance of blood saw a unit of positive blood rise from N25,000 to N60,000, while a unit of negative blood rose from N30,000 to N75,000.

Findings revealed that the unit cost of blood sells as high as N100,000 in some laboratories across the state.
One year after this development, Mr Saheed disclosed that many patients are suffering, struggling to survive and groaning under the new price regime, describing the unit cost of blood as ‘crazily expensive.’

Mr Saheed urged the government to regulate and subsidise the unit cost of blood, saying, “We cannot begin to commercialise and profit from an essential commodity like blood. He stated, “There are so many vulnerable members of society that depend on blood transfusions to stay alive at one time or the other. Most of these patients need multiple units of blood depending on their medical procedure.

“For example, a patient who requires three units of negative blood will spend over N200,000, this is minus the cost of the procedure and other expenses that may come up. Anything you are doing as a government, make it affordable and accessible so that every patient will be able to get it at the nearest place.

“The economy is having a biting effect on citizens. Many citizens are struggling to feed themselves, and those who are sick can barely afford their treatment costs. The government must show empathy in governance and policies.”

He further said that the high unit cost of blood would encourage commercialisation, lamenting that there was no regulation for controlling how blood is sourced in Lagos, especially financially induced donation.

“Blood is life. It should be given freely. We need to ask ourselves the questions, is it the bag, screening or the reagents that justify the sale of blood at N50,000 upward?” Saheed said.
Similarly, Mr Esegine disclosed that the association’s engagement with the government’s representative on the issue was unproductive.

Mr Esegine said, “We were told that the government withdrew the subsidy on blood and that whatever subsidy there is cannot be extended to the private sector.

“That is a very sorry statement to make because you are not subsidising any private sector or private practitioners, you are subsidising the health of the people.

“We are talking of poor maternal health individuals, we are talking about sickle cell anaemia children that need blood transfusions from time to time.
“We are talking of obstetric emergencies where you have haemorrhage as one of the major causes of mortality in women. So blood is such an essential commodity that cannot be allowed to be used as an equal of trade, to be profited from.”
The chairman emphasised that the private sector is a promoter of health, salvaging emergency situations, and servicing 85 per cent of Lagos residents with health services.

Sanwo-Olu

“You need blood, we get the blood from those who are providing blood service and we give the patient exactly the way it is given to us. We don’t do markup on blood transfusions.

“So when the government says it can’t subsidise the private sector, that is a very tragic statement to make and I would want the government to have a rethink,” Esegine said.
The cost of a unit of blood varies per laboratory, location and state.

In Ibadan, a unit of blood goes for N20,000 at the University College Hospital (UCH), costs N10,000 at the National Blood Transfusion Agency, while prices range between N20,000 to N30,000 in other laboratories.