NMA Strike: Patients Desert Public Hospitals??

NMA  President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, 

Press Correspondence

 The nationwide strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has continued to take its toll on the healthcare delivery across the country.

In most federal government-owned healthcare facilities, patients were seen turned back from accessing the facilities, while in other states patients were seen leaving the hospitals because of the absence of doctors to attend to them.

In Asaba, Delta State, relatives of patients, yesterday had hectic time evacuating their loved ones to private clinics as doctors in the state complied with the directive


 to embark on strike.

At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, doctors had partially withdrawn their services but were sympathetic enough to ensure that in-patients were in proper condition to be moved out of the institution.¨

The state Chairman of NMA, Dr. Uyi Osarenkhoe, confirmed the development to Press, saying that out-patients were being turned back as the doctors had already complied with the directive of the association.

“We are not taking new emergencies except those cases that were admitted before now. We are attending to them in preparation for them to be taken away by their relatives maybe to private clinics,” he said.

Press gathered that other health workers at the institution were at their duty posts as the strike by NMA did not affect them.

The strike was sequel to the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by the national leadership of NMA to the federal government to address its demands.

The national president of the association, Dr. Kayode Obembe, had in a letter to the government noted that the post of the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) has been circularised and operational.

In Ondo State, the strike almost paralysed activities in government health facilities as patients with serious conditions had to be discharged before the commencement of the strike.

The Chief Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola, disclosed to Press during a visit to the hospital that the management took the decision in other to reduce the suffering of the patients, while those left were those whose cases can be handled by nurses.

When Press visited the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, nurses were seen at their duty posts, while doctors did not report for duties in compliance with the directive of NMA.

Some nurses who spoke on condition of anonymity said they had been doing the job expected of them, confirming that no doctor had shown up for duty because of the ongoing nationwide strike.

The situation was the same at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, as resident doctors abandoned wards leaving only nurses to attend to patients.
Ikuomola, whose appeal for skeletal services was rebuffed, said the management workers on duty even restricted themselves to administrative functions as they refused to perform any clinical duties.

He expressed the hope that the strike would not last too long before it is resolved so that patients would not be allowed to suffer too much.

Patients currently receiving treatments at the University College Hospital, Ibadan and those seeking medical help are facing difficulties in getting the medical attention in the hospital as strike declared by the members of the Nigerian Medical Association, Oyo State, began to take its toll.

With the exception of emergency cases at the Accident and Emergency ward of the hospital, many patients on admission with others on routine visits were already feeling the heat of the strike, just as the Branch Chairman of the NMA, Prof. Adefolarin Malomo, said there was no going back to duty until their demands were met.

Malomo said his association had been pressed most painfully to resume her suspended strike having unsuccessfully explored all necessary ways to make the federal government see reason, adding that "the strike was the last resort".

In Bauchi State, medical services at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital was partially grounded as only few patients were seen around the premises of the hospital.

Press monitored activities at some hospitals in the state and observed that patients with minor ailments were discharged, while those with critical conditions were given medical attention by nurses.

Suleiman Abubakar, whose wife was sick as a result of typhoid fever, said he was moving her to a private hospital, where she could medical attention.
He however, appealed to both the government and doctors to find solution to their dispute and call off the strike.

“We beg the government and doctors to come to an agreement and resolve issues leading to the frequent strikes in the health sector,” Suleiman said.

However, the Acting Chief Medical Director of ATBTH, Dr. Yusuf Jibril said as at yesterday that the hospital was only attending to patients with critical conditions, while those with minor ailments were discharged in line with the directives of the association.

He said, “for now, we are not admitting patients because there will be no one to attend to them when they come, but we have pleaded with doctors to attend only to emergency cases in order to save lives.

“For now, its only nurses, pharmacists and laboratories that is functional. The doctors are only attending to emergency cases,” he added, while appealling to the federal government and NMAN to resolve their differences so that normalcy can return to the hospitals throughout the country.

Similarly, activities in the federal government health facilities in Akwa Ibom State came to a standstill yesterday as a result of the strike by the NMA.

When THISDAY visited the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) along Abak Road in the state capital, the Out-Patients Department of the hospital was completely deserted, as those who went for medical attention or consultation were asked to seek such assistance from else way.

One of the patients, Mr. Emmanuel Udoh, from Oku Village along Ikot Ekpene Road Uyo, who spoke with Press lamented that he was asked to check back in the hospital yesterday (Tuesday) having made similar visit the previous day (Monday).

He expressed regret that having exhausted his money in running many tests in the hospital on Monday and to be told the yesterday that he should go to private clinic.

Press checks further revealed that both private and public medical institutions in the country will join the strike if in the next two weeks government refused to respond to doctors’ requests.

Meanwhile, worried by the pains being undergone by patients in the state, the National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) University of Uyo Teaching Hospital appealed for calm among the patients

The NARD President of the UUTH, Dr. Dolapo Shittu, said the union has exempted doctors operating private clinics and those in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from joining the strike for two week.

He said that if within two weeks government had not seen reason to resolve the dispute, all medical institutions whether government, private or NGO medical institution will join the in the indefinite strike.

“Already we are creating public awareness about the strike, and we have allowed our doctors to work in private clinics and NGOs centres that are available in the state.

“We appeal to our patients to bear with us and avail themselves of these facilities, while the strike lasted.

“It is our hope that the strike will not last long as we do not want our patients to suffer unnecessarily,” he said.

Also reacting, the Chairman of UUTH Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr. Emmanuel Inyangetok, said the strike is painful as no doctor was happy over it.

According to him, the strike would have been averted if government had shown commitment to their 24 points demand since two weeks ago when the union gave them ultimatum.

He explained that the strike was to draw the attention of government to their demands and appealled for urgent resolution.

“We are not happy because we know that unfortunately it is the public and innocent patients trying to access medical services at public health institutions that are suffering the brunt of the strike,” he said.

The situation was not difference in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State yesterday as the doors of the federal health facilities where shut to patients as a result of the nationwide strike by doctors.

Briefing the press in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the state chairman of the NMA, Dr. Obitade Obimakinde, said such new structure as being mooted by the federal government, would cause internal confusion in the health institutions and colossal suffering to patients.

While disclosing that State chapter of the body has joined the national strike as directed by the headquarters in Abuja, Obimakinde stated that pharmacists and nurses must be allowed to play supportive roles and take directives from doctors, rather than eroding the well-entrenched clinical structures in the hospitals.

“The Acts that establish hospitals only recognised three directorate thus: Administration, Clinical Service and Training as well as Finance. But trying to erode the clinical directorate by believing that any staff of a hospital whose colleagues in the core civil service have reached the directorate level can be appointed as consultants and CMD, will create confusion,” he said.