Patients cry as doctors’ strike enters day 2
The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, embarked on a 5-day warning strike entered the second day today, as patients expressed frustration over their inability to receive treatment in public hospitals.
Recall that the resident doctors had last Wednesday, May 17th declared a five-day warning strike following the federal government’s inability to address their demands.
Issues that necessitated the strike, according to the resident doctors, include poor infrastructure, the manpower shortage in the health sector, non-payment of medical residency training fund, non-increments of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure as well as the failure of state governments across the country to pay salary arrears of doctors.
The situation was not different in public hospitals in other parts of the country, from the east, west, to the north.
The situation was particularly worse in public hospitals in Nasarawa State and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, ABUTH, Kaduna, where patients were abandoned by the striking doctors.
The strike caused an exodus of patients to private hospitals which are currently making brisk businesses, though at a high cost to patients.
Relatives and friends of patients on admission were seen evacuating their loved ones to private hospitals in their state.
When our correspondent visited the Nasarawa State government-owned Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, it was observed that no resident doctor, especially those on call, was seen at duty post.
Some major units of the hospitals such as out-of-patient, casualty and maternity, which used to record a large number of patients were under lock, leaving patients unattended to.
Chairman of NARD in the state, Dr Yakubu Adeleke Ademola, who was seen going around the hospital in the company of other officials to ensure resident doctors stayed away from the facility, said they had no other option than to comply with the directive on the strike.
In an interview, a patient, Baba Hassan Audu, 80, said he was in the hospital to access treatment since morning but was asked to go back or find an alternative.
“I have been suffering from tooth ache. I have an appointment with the doctor but on reaching the hospital I was told the doctors have gone on strike. I cannot afford the medical bill at a private hospital,” he lamented.
Similarly, Mrs Halima Tanko, who called for an immediate end to the strike, expressed worry that the lives of her twin babies born a few days ago were in danger.
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