The directive by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to
embark on an indefinite nationwide strike has elicited total compliance by
doctors across the country.
As a result, healthcare delivery service was yesterday
paralysed at various government hospitals and healthcare centres nationwide.
However, nurses and matrons, according to checks carried out
by our correspondents, have taken over care in the hospitals especially those
ones in critical condition.
At the National Hospital Abuja, the doctors too abdicated
their duty posts, even though some of them were seen loitering in empty
hospital corridors, under “essential duty” designation.
A pregnant woman, Priscillia Edoh, who went there for ante
natal care, was not attended to despite her four-hour wait.
“We were told to wait. Up until now, they have not come,” the
pregnant woman said, as she stayed alone in a waiting room that had emptied
since morning.
At Maitama General Hospital, Abuja, the management of the
hospital said it was in a meeting with the doctors even as it rebuffed attempts
to interview its officials.
Also, most of the patients at the University College
Hospital, Ibadan, were not attended to by the striking doctors as they were
denied medical attention except those on emergencies.
Speaking on the strike, the chairman, NMA, Oyo State, Prof
Adefolarin Malomo, said the association had been pressed most painfully to
resume her suspended strike.
At the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, (NAUTH),
Nnewi , all the patients in the teaching hospital were discharged yesterday at
about 12 noon by the hospital management because of the doctors’ strike.
But the situation was different at the Anambra State
University Teaching Hospital, ANSUTH, where the medical doctors were seen
attending to patients.
At the University of Ilorin Teaching along Oke-Oyi, medical
activities were totally grounded as doctors failed to turn up for duty except
for some consultants who were seen attending to patients in critical
conditions.
Relatives of some patients were also seen searching for taxi
cabs, apparently in a bid to relocate their sick ones to other medical
facilities.
An official of the hospital who pleaded for anonymity said
medical workers would maintain their stance until government was ready for
negotiation.
It was the same scenario at University of Ilorin permanent
site clinic as doctors, acting on the directive by the national headquarters of
NMA, joined the strike.
Also, at various hospitals in Delta State, especially at the
Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, only the consultants and some senior medical
officers were on hand to attend to patients that had been on admission before
the strike started, but fresh admissions were not allowed.
At the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH),
Ikeja, a young man who identified himself as Dayo Adeyeni brought his uncle to
the accident and emergency unit for urgent medical attention, but they were,
however, turned back as the security guards told them the doctors were on
strike and no one would attend to them.
At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba,
the hospital was scanty as it had been during the recent strike embarked upon
by the resident doctors.
According to the Vice President of the Association of
Resident Doctors, LUTH chapter, Dr, Akinkunmi Afolabi, doctors at LUTH were not
on duty.
“We are observing total compliance with the strike. If you
see any doctors walking around, they are only doing referrals for their
patients to go to other hospitals where they can get medical care. Although the
strike is painful, however, the government needs to correct some segments of
the health sector,” he said.
The Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, and other public
hospitals in Benue State yesterday shut down as a result of the
strike.
LEADERSHIP’s visit to some of the public hospitals in
Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo and other local government areas revealed that medical
doctors were not in the places to offer medical services to patients, but
nurses and administrative staff were seen performing their duties.
SOURCE: leadership.ng
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