The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has directed its members to limit call duty to a maximum of 24 hours, with the directive taking effect from October 1, 2025.
NARD President, Dr. Muhammed Suleiman, said in an interview on Tuesday that the decision is aimed at reducing stress among doctors and improving the quality of healthcare delivery.
He noted that the deterioration in doctors’ health due to prolonged hours has affected service delivery and exposed medical practitioners to serious health risks.
“Members will no longer engage in call duty beyond 24 hours. Call rosters that exceed this limit are unsafe and could result in mistakes, collapse, or even death,” he warned.
Dr. Suleiman explained that the directive requires every 24-hour call to be followed by adequate rest. “NARD is charging members to reject rosters that schedule back-to-back 24-hour calls,” he added.
The association described excessive call schedules as “unsafe and unstable,” stressing that limiting call duty hours will give doctors time to rest, bond with their families, and attend to other aspects of their lives.
He recalled the case of a young doctor in Rivers State who reportedly died after being on duty for 72 hours. “Some accounts said he had malaria and was on medication, others said they did not know what happened. But after 72 hours on call, he decided to rest and never woke up,” Dr. Suleiman said.
He further noted that doctors’ duties go beyond calls, including attending to patients in the wards, administering medications, and managing clinics, which make excessively long duty hours even more burdensome.
By Miracle Chidinma Amaechi
