Patients at various government hospitals have been left stranded as residents doctors embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday.
At the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), it was observed that the usual busy scenery at the hospital was absent, as the resident doctors observed full compliance of the strike.
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Only few consultants who declined to speak with our correspondent were seen attending to patients in critical condition.
Many outpatients turned back from the main entrance were however advised by security men to go back home.
A mother of two who gave her name as Katrina Obot said she was given an appointment by one of the striking doctors for a surgery.
She however lamented that her condition could worsen if she does not get immediate medical attention.
“I don’t know where to go to now. I am just stranded as one of the doctors gave me an appointment for surgery and I was hoping to have it today but see what has happened.
“I did not know that the doctors will be on strike and my husband cannot afford the cost of private hospitals,” she lamented.
At the emergency ward, some matrons seen there refused to admit new emergency patients.
One of them who spoke on condition of anonymity said more than half of the patients have been discharged and asked to go home.
“Right now, we are not admitting any patient because of the strike. Over 44 patients have been asked to vacate the hospital as we can no longer cope,” she said.
The Corporate Affairs Officer of UUTH, Ofon Ofon was not available to speak with our correspondent on the issue.
Ebonyi
In Ebonyi, resident doctors of the Alex Ekwueme federal University, Abakiliki also complied with the directive of its parent body.
The Chairman of Ebonyi state chapter of the association, Dr. Anikpo Nnamdi made this known to Daily TRUST in Abakiliki.
According to him, yes! we have complied with the directive of the national body to join the nationwide strike today”, he explained.
But when Daily Trust visited the hospital, it was observed that the unfortunate situation has over stretched the other health workers on duty.
Although, some of the patients have been seeking for treatment in private hospitals while those who chose to stay were left in the hands of consultant and nurses including other staff for treatment.
Edo
At the University of Benin Teaching hospital, resident doctors also joined the strike.
The chairman of the UBTH chapter of the Association, Ufuani Ifeanyi, said they have joined the strike and it is total.
” We commenced the strike this morning and it is total”
According to him, it is just the association of resident doctors that is on strike. The hospital has other cadres of doctors such as consultants, and they are working. However, we make about 80 per cent of the workforce.
Also speaking on the strike, chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Edo State chapter, Harrison Omokhua, said the strike is germane and a lot of persons have been mobilized to ensure full compliance.
“I can tell you that NMA is fully in support of this strike. They are one of our activist and because we have been carried along in all their negotiations and discussions, we can tell you that we are fully with them and give them our support”, he said.
Enugu
When Daily Trust the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT-TH), Parklane, Enugu, it was observed that patients complained and waited for doctors endlessly even after paying for doctors’ consultation fees.
It was observed that relatively healthy patients were being discharged in their numbers to go home.
At the hospital, there were very few consultants and house officers seen attending to the large number of patients already admitted before Monday, Aug. 2.
The President of ARD Chapter in ESUT-TH, Parklane, Dr Emmanuel Edoga said that the association in the state-owned teaching hospital had fully mobilised and joined the ongoing strike.
Edoga said “early this morning, our members ensured that they stabilised all patients in their care and discharged most of them fit to go home.
He stated that they would also review the situation after 72 hours with the hope that the authorities “will do the needful.”
Edoga said: “We have down tooled as directed and what we did early this morning is to stabilise patients previously under our care and discharge some of them fit to be out-patient.
“However, we still have our senior doctors, the consultants, as well as house officers still attending to patients and holding sway until we resolve the current impasse with the Federal and state governments”.
Meanwhile, Mrs Juliet Onyia, who came with her baby to Children ward, said that she had waited for over four hours after paying for her consultancy fee to see a doctor but without result.
According to Onyia, “They knew they should not have collected the doctor’s consultancy fee of N500 from me since they are not working.
“Nobody deemed it fit to inform me earlier about the development for me to take my child to another hospital. This situation is unfortunate.”
In the surgical ward, Mr Emma Onuh, said that he had waited for five hours to get his regular appointment with a doctor in the ward.
“I was not told of this development. I came all the way from my village in Eke community in Udi Local Government Area,” Onuh said.
It would be recalled that the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had called on its members to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike, beginning from Monday, Aug. 2.
Reporting by Tony Adibe, Enugu; Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki; Usman A Bello, Benin City; Iniabasi Umo, Uyo
