Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, on
Monday embarked on a three-day warning strike, following the failure of the
state government to recruit more house officers and resident doctors.
The President, Association of Resident Doctors, LASUTH, Dr. Balogun Fatai,
told the
News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Monday that the
strike was total, involving both emergency and clinical operations in the
hospital.
He said that in spite of the agitations of the association and its meetings
with the government and management officials, there were no signs that new
resident doctors would be engaged in the hospital.
“Although, some House Officers are reporting for work, they are not enough
to call off the strike because the resident doctors that form the hub of the
work force of the hospital have yet to resume duty.
“We are made to know that the governor has not yet given the approval as
expected; that is what is stalling the recruitment of new doctors in the
hospital.
“That is why we are embarking on a three-day warning strike, which is total;
no member of the association will attend to patients during the strike,’’ he
said.
Balogun, however, noted that consultants were on ground to see their
patients, adding that the specialists would do their best to deliver health
care to the patients.
He, nonetheless, stressed that the consultants would still need the services
of the resident doctors because resident doctors interact with patients
directly as the patients’ first point of call.
“If these residents are not on ground, it is obvious that work cannot go on
smoothly at the teaching hospital.
“We are expecting 172 doctors, at the minimum, to start work; that will
cushion the effect of what is going on now at the hospital.
“Essentially, the strike is to pass the message across to the government, so
that it feels our pains and gives the needed approval as soon as possible,’’ he
said.
The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, told NAN
that he had done everything that needed to be done to deploy the available
resident doctors.
“I am not the one in charge of employing doctors, but have done everything I
needed to do to deploy them, “ he said.
A visit to the hospital by NAN conformed that the resident doctors were not
at their duty posts to attend to patients.
Only nurses and other health professionals, including pharmacists,
laboratory scientists, as well as some house officers were seen at their duty
posts.
Some patients who spoke to NAN said they were not aware of the strike and
pleaded with the government to accede to demands of the resident doctors.
One of them, Mrs Victoria Mbong, who said she was on appointment to see a
dentist, said that she was not aware of the resident doctors’ strike.
“I was at the hospital as early as 8 a.m. to see my dentist and I have
waited for about two hours; I am not aware of what is going on.
“I hope the issue is resolved very soon so that the people of the state will
not suffer; I appeal to the government to take our health seriously,’’ she
said.
Another patient, Mr Bayo Agboola, said that officials of the health records
section of the hospital had stopped bringing out the medical files of patients
because of the absence of resident doctors.
“The officials told us that there is no doctor around as they are on strike.
This is not right and it is not fair to the average citizen. How do we get
health care if there are no doctors to attend to us?
“We appeal to those in authority to do the needful and improve the quality
of health care delivery in our country; they should also employ more doctors for
our hospitals,’’ he said.
NAN
