Patients groan as doctors’ strike grounds services; nurses nationwide to join action tomorrow
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Medical services are disrupted across Lagos where doctors on Tuesday began a three-day warning strike over salary deductions and other welfare issues.
The usually bustling Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja was deserted yesterday with many wards and consulting rooms locked up.
There were no patients on the hospital premises, workers not on strike carried out minimal activities. Doctors stayed away from their duty posts, leaving patients stranded.
At the maternity and laboratory wings, many patients who had scheduled appointments were forced to return home.
Temilade Ojo, who came to receive her test results at the labour facility, expressed disappointment that there was no doctor to attend to her.
“I came from Egbeda to get my results and hopefully see the doctor, but after waiting for more than an hour, someone told me the doctors are on strike. I had to go back home,” she told The Nation.
A LASUTH card registrar, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “There’s no work today. The doctors have joined the strike. Most of the departments are not functioning.”
Skeletal services were rendered at Isolo General Hospital, where a hairstylist who visited the facility disclosed that “there were some nurses around, but only one or two doctors were attending to patients.
“Many people left after waiting for long without being attended to.”
Igando General Hospital was also affected by the strike, and a worker there said he heard that Northern doctors are planning to commence their own industrial action.
The warning strike declared by the Medical Guild is in protest over unilateral deductions from salaries, poor welfare conditions and discrepancies in remuneration.
The Guild on July 26 announced the three-day warning strike, saying it became inevitable following Alausa’s failure to address their concerns despite meetings and assurances.
Lagos Ministry of Health has appealed to the doctors to reconsider their stance and allow ongoing negotiations to reach a peaceful resolution.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised and wish to assure the public that all grievances are being looked into with utmost sincerity and urgency,” Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the ministry’s Public Affairs Director, said in a statement.
He added that contingency plans are in place to minimise the impact of the strike on healthcare delivery – although little of it is seen on the ground.
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