Strike by Health Workers Hits Katsina Hospitals

An ongoing strike by health workers in Katsina State has affected services at public hospitals. This has left patients and their caregivers worried about their access to medical care.

The health workers started a one-week warning strike due to disagreements with the state government over their pay and welfare.

A visit to Turai Yar’Adua Maternal and Child Hospital in Katsina on Saturday showed how the strike has impacted services. Only a few patients were seen in the surgical ward.

Many families are worried about their loved ones who need urgent medical help. One caregiver, Aina’u Abdulmajid, shared that her patient is having complications from surgery. She called on the state government to restore normal hospital services.

"For the sake of God, we call on the government to intervene. Our patient is suffering from complications arising from surgery. Please help us and restore services," she pleaded.

Ms Abdulmajid’s plea shows the struggles of families who rely on public hospitals. They are caught in a tough spot between the ongoing strike and their urgent need for medical care.

Another caregiver, Sulaiman Mansir, said he brought his sick child to the hospital but faced disruptions due to the strike. Mr Mansir is worried about his child's treatment and asked the government to talk to the striking health workers to fix the problem quickly.

The strike has made things harder for families who are already dealing with transport costs, medicine, and other medical expenses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the strike was called by the Assembly of Health Professionals. This was due to unresolved issues with the Katsina State government over pay and welfare.

The assembly includes the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP).

The assembly’s chairperson, Ibrahim Balange, said the unions gave the government a seven-day strike notice on 7 October. But the notice ended without a solution to their demands.

Mr Balange explained that the issues started in 2024. The state government announced plans to review allowances for health workers to match those of federal workers.

He said the workers raised concerns about the minimum wage. They claimed that the salary structure approved for them was different from what they were actually receiving.

He added that a committee set up to look into the complaints made recommendations in March 2025. But the government has not acted on them yet.

He mentioned that the Office of Public Service Reform later offered the workers 10 percent of the salary difference compared to federal workers. But this offer did not solve the problem.

After the strike began, the state government raised its offer to 15 percent. But the unions turned it down, saying it was still not enough.

The Head of the State Civil Service, Masa’ud Banye, confirmed that government officials met with representatives of the striking workers to discuss the matter.

Mr Banye is hopeful that the disagreement will be resolved soon. He also acknowledged the difficulties patients are facing because of the strike. He assured that Governor Dikko Radda’s administration is committed to providing good healthcare in the state.