Patients
and their relations in Gusau and Benin on Friday called for care and
love as the JOHESU nationwide strike entered its third day.
Reports from and Edo States confirmed that normal healthcare services have been disrupted by the strike.
While
some patients were seen being attended to by some doctors, relatives of
others were seen evacuating their sick ones from the hospitals for
alternative medicine.
They
all appealed to government to address the demands of the striking
healthcare workers in order to strengthen the health sector.
They also called on the aggrieved workers to consider their plight and save lives.
In Gusau, the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) has made arrangement for skeletal services to cushion the effect of the strike on patients.
In Gusau, the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) has made arrangement for skeletal services to cushion the effect of the strike on patients.
However,
NAN observed that the medical and surgical wards of the hospital were
empty as all patients were discharged due inadequate manpower to manage
them.
The accidents and emergency ward, paediatric unit and labour room were the busiest areas in the hospital.
Other
departments in the hospital like Pharmacy, Laboratory and Medical
Records were all managed by the heads of the departments.
A medical doctor, who preferred anonymity, told our reporter that humanity was considered very important in medical service.
“In
this regard, attention is given to emergency cases in order to avoid
loss of lives during the industrial action,’’ the source said.
A
patient’s relative, Malama Hauwau Suleiman, said her child was managed
well, adding “as you can see there are about five doctors in the ward
right now.
“We are not facing any problem even though there is strike in the hospital’’.
Report
also confirmed that services were also being offered at the National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) clinic of the hospital where patients
were seen waiting to see doctors.
Similarly,
NAN also reports that there was no much increased in patients trooping
to private hospitals as other state healthcare facilities in the state
remained opened.
A report from Benin said some pregnant women had accused JOHESU members of insensitivity to their plight.
The aggrieved women told NAN that the industrial action took them unawares.
They
claimed that the industrial action was targeted at them as some of them
were getting close to their Expected Date of Delivery (EDD).
Mrs
Agnes Osamudiame told our reporter that she was in the last phase of
her third trimester, and was in the hospital for her weekly antenatal
check, but did not see any medical staff to attend to her for hours.
She,
however, pleaded with the government to urgently attend to the demands
of the striking health workers, saying that their services were
indispensable.
Mrs
Ifueko Omoruyi, another pregnant woman, said they should be taken into
consideration before any strike by those in the health sector,
suggesting that alternative arrangement of accessing medical services
should be provided for them.
“Most
of us are due in few days, so what do we do now? The doctors should be
able to join voices with other health workers so that government can
resolve the issue and save us this pain,” Omoruyi said.
Also, a man who simply gave his name as Mr Nwogheren, claimed that his pregnant wife died as a result of the strike.
The management of the hospital led by the Chief Medical Director, Dr Darlington Obaseki, is yet to react to the development.