Patients Stranded As Doctors’ Strike Cripples National Hospital

The strike action by the National Association of Resident Doctors is beginning to take a toll on healthcare centres across the country.

The National Association of Resident Doctors had embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the lack of readiness of the government to meet the demand of the Association.

The National President of the Association, Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, had explained that the government was yet to implement the agreements it entered with the union, hence the renewed strike that commenced today.

He had decried that only four percent of the total budget is being allocated to the health sector, while over 20 percent are spent salaries for public servants.

He also revealed that of 19 families of medical doctors who died while treating COVID-19 patients, only one family has received the death-in-service insurance which was promised by the government.

Also among the demand of the doctors, is the immediate withdrawal of a circular removing House Officers from the scheme of service.

A visit by THE WHISTLER correspondent to the National Hospital in Abuja showed that many of the patients are beginning to relocate to other healthcare centres.

“We do not even know which hospital to go to from here,”Mr Jaiye, whose younger brother was receiving treatment at the hospital lamented as he spoke to our Correspondent on Wednesday.

Jaiye had travelled down from Benue State with his younger brother who just survived an accident.

According to him, their hope of accessing the needed treatment seemed dashed as they have spent more than four hours at the hospital without seeing a doctor.

He said, “We have been asked to go to a private hospital, this is not good for us. We travelled to this place today from Benue State.

“My brother just survived an accident and he needs urgent medical attention, that was why we were referred to this hospital from Benue.

“Since we came here, for over four hours, we have not seen any doctor, they said they are on strike and asked us to visit a private hospital.”

However, hope was restored to Jaiye and his brother as someone who was sympathetic to their plight offered to take them to another hospital.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER, a Nurse from the Department of Family Medicine, who pleaded not to be named as she was not officially permitted to speak on the matter, said that not much has been happening in the hospital since the commencement of the resident doctors strike on Monday.

According to her, only consultants and nurses have been on duty since Monday, as they are not part of the strike action.

She said, “Nigeria health system is very poor, this is because most of our leaders do not use our local health facilities hence they show less concern.

“Looking at our budget for health, very poor, today even a common man cannot afford to access treatment from our government hospitals. The cost of drugs and equipment are high.

“Since the commencement of this strike, nurses and consultants have been the ones on duty and this has affected the number of people that we attend to.

“So the earlier the government attend to the demands of the doctors the better for all Nigerians.”

According to the nurse, only six consulting rooms and few nurses were available to attend to patients in the department.

She added, “We have about six consulting rooms in this section, and we usually attend to over 100 patients daily, but since Monday, the highest we do is about 20.

“So we are not doing as much as used to, because we have few hands.

“We cannot do the work of the doctors as they are on strike, we cannot admit any patient. We only do the work that concerns us and do not do the work of doctors.

“And for the doctor, even if they are willing they cannot attend to any patient, because if they are caught, they will be fined.

“So this is why the government must respond to the needs of the doctors early enough.”