Three days into the ongoing strike
by public sector doctors, patients abandoned in hospitals nationwide,
yesterday, cried out that they were dying slowly, and prayed for God’s
intervention to settle the rift between the government and the striking
doctors.
by public sector doctors, patients abandoned in hospitals nationwide,
yesterday, cried out that they were dying slowly, and prayed for God’s
intervention to settle the rift between the government and the striking
doctors.
While Governor Babatunde Fashola of
Lagos State appealed to the doctors to stop using strike as a means of fighting
for their demands in the interest of innocent Nigerians, the doctors on their
part accussed government of playing hide-and-seek with them.
Lagos State appealed to the doctors to stop using strike as a means of fighting
for their demands in the interest of innocent Nigerians, the doctors on their
part accussed government of playing hide-and-seek with them.
Meanwhile, the House of
Representatives has mandated its Committee on Health to urgently engage the
Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and Ministry of Health with a view to
bringing the ongoing industrial action to an end.
Representatives has mandated its Committee on Health to urgently engage the
Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and Ministry of Health with a view to
bringing the ongoing industrial action to an end.
Vanguard visited public hospitals in Lagos. From Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, LUTH; General Hospital, Gbagada; Federal Medical Centre,
Ebute Metta, to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, were lamentations
as patients, who refused to relocate, have been abandoned to their fate.
Teaching Hospital, LUTH; General Hospital, Gbagada; Federal Medical Centre,
Ebute Metta, to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, were lamentations
as patients, who refused to relocate, have been abandoned to their fate.
New patients were denied admission,
while elderly ones who refused to leave were offered skeletal services by
nurses and other health workers not affected by the strike.
while elderly ones who refused to leave were offered skeletal services by
nurses and other health workers not affected by the strike.
Seeking divine intervention
Some of the patients were seen
praying for God’s intervention.
praying for God’s intervention.
At the National Orthopaedic
Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, patients stood in front of Accident and Emergency
Unit, praying to God to touch the heart of both government and the striking
doctors.
Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, patients stood in front of Accident and Emergency
Unit, praying to God to touch the heart of both government and the striking
doctors.
One said: “Our God in heaven, listen
to our cry and come to our aid. Arrest the heart of doctors and government to
end the strike. We are dying slowly on daily basis.”
to our cry and come to our aid. Arrest the heart of doctors and government to
end the strike. We are dying slowly on daily basis.”
At other wards, some patients that
spoke to Vanguard insisted that whether the strike continued or not,
they had nowhere else to seek medical attention.
spoke to Vanguard insisted that whether the strike continued or not,
they had nowhere else to seek medical attention.
They claimed their medical needs
were peculiar and could not easily be handled at private hospitals.
were peculiar and could not easily be handled at private hospitals.
One of them, who identified himself
as Clement Odia, and had been on admission since January, said he was not in a
hurry to relocate to any private hospital for financial reason.
as Clement Odia, and had been on admission since January, said he was not in a
hurry to relocate to any private hospital for financial reason.
‘Am going nowhere’
He said: “I came here since January
because of my broken hand. You do not expect me to leave now because I am
almost healed. If I have to go to private clinic, where is the money? Also,
they may not be able to take care of my situation, so I am staying here.”
because of my broken hand. You do not expect me to leave now because I am
almost healed. If I have to go to private clinic, where is the money? Also,
they may not be able to take care of my situation, so I am staying here.”
Another patient, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, accused doctors of aggravating his pain.
condition of anonymity, accused doctors of aggravating his pain.
He said: “I know if government
answers them, in another six months same doctors will ask for more allowances.
No doctor has attended to me since yesterday.”
answers them, in another six months same doctors will ask for more allowances.
No doctor has attended to me since yesterday.”