The storm has been brewing in the Lagos State health sector over the months, broke yesterday as doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guide made good its threat to embark on indefinite strike over irreconcilable matters with the Lagos State government.
Hundreds of patients who turned up at the public hospitals in the state expressed surprise at the doctor’s action as they were caught unawares.
The doctors employed by the State are protesting the government’s failure to accede to their demands.
The Medical Guild, the umbrella body of the doctors serving in the state’s public hospitals, had on March 8 issued a 10-day ultimatum to government to pay all outstanding monies allegedly withheld as a result of previous strike, leadership of the Guild directed that all clinics and General outpatients departments, GOPD, would remain shut, while all elective surgeries were suspended while only emergencies and critically ill patients were to be attended to.
At the Lagos State University Teachiing Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, a number of patients, most of who arrived as early as 6:30am were later turned back after several hours of waiting for attention.
When Chat212 arrived the hospital around 9:30am, there was calm at the entrance gates, even right up to the wards.
Things were looking normal and the situation at the gate however, apparently gave hope to many of the patients that their appointments with doctors at the hospital would be kept.
Unfortunately, many received the shock of their lives on arrival at the Health Records department where the scenario was a contrast of what was happening outside.
Confusion and anxiety
There was confusion and anxiety as patients who came early were being handed back their hospital cards by officials of the Department, even as new patients who were yet to obtain their hospital cards were not given attention.
The commotion extended to the Out Patient Department where a large group of patients, out of frustration resorted into a shouting match with hospital staff who insisted on returing the patients cards they had ealier collected.
Some of the angry patients argued that they were given appointments and should be seen by the doctors who gave them appointments.
In a heated moment, a patient who identified himself as Idowu Ajayi stated; “ The whole process is so confusing. How i wish somebody alerted me yesterday that there will be strike today, i would not have bothered coming here.
Ajayi told Chat212 was in the hospital for check up. “I was given appointment by the doctor to review my drugs. I was placed on a special medication and the doctor said I should come back today for him to be sure whether I should continue with the drugs or stop.
“But here I am today no body to attend to me. The problem now is that I do not know if I am to continue with the drugs or stop them. I am confused,” he said with tears rolling down his cheeks.
However, despite all the shouts and arguments, patients who submitted their cards earlier whose cards were returned were asked to go and get another appointment date as no single doctor was around to attend to them.
At the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital, patients need emergency cares were turned back irrespective of their conditions.
Discharged of patients
Chat212 observed that some relatives had begun to move their loved ones out of the hospital. Some healthcare staff confirmed the development and said it was normal in such circumstances. A few remarked that they were not taking chances.
The pathetic sight of a patient who came in a taxi with a three degree burns elicited sighs from observers. The patients simply identified as Mummy Uche wept unconjtrollably as the nurses at the Accident and Emergency unit told her point blank that there was no doctor on ground and urged her relative who brought her to the hospital to take her away.
Moves by the patient to obtain information from the unidentified nurse were severely rebuffed. “Can’t you hear? I told you there is no doctor on ground you are asking of a consultant. No doctor, go elsewhere.” The nurse shouted.
Normalcy at Isolo General Hospital
At Isolo General Hospital, the situation was the opposite. Right from the outpatient departments, Ante natal care clinic, family planning clinic, Accident and Emergency, Maternal and Child care centre to the wards, healthcare activities were going on uninterrupted. All the consulting rooms were busy with doctors attending to patients.
Strike in force at Igando
At Igando General Hospital, healthcare services were also grounded to halt as doctors abandoned their duty post for nurses. Only emergency cases were attended to at the hospital.
Meanwhile the Lagos state Government has described as “unlawful demands” the strike embarked by the doctors.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, reacting to the development yesterday,stated: “It has come to the attention of the State Government that some doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild have commenced yet another strike action on account of the non-payment of their wages during the period of their previous strike.
“It is pertinent to stress for public information that the said strike was an illegal action, just as the current one. On the previous occasion, the doctors went on what they called a “sympathy strike” at the request of their professional association, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) which then had a dispute with the Federal Government.
“They had no trade dispute with the State Government (their employer). It is also instructive to note that doctors in private employment, who are also members of the NMA, did not join the so-called “sympathy strike”.
“It is a fact that those health workers who did not work during the stated period were not paid. This “no work no pay rule” is not just a policy of the State Government as alleged. It is in line with international employment practices and the Trade Disputes Act, a federal legislation, which is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria.
The doctors employed by the State are protesting the government’s failure to accede to their demands.
The Medical Guild, the umbrella body of the doctors serving in the state’s public hospitals, had on March 8 issued a 10-day ultimatum to government to pay all outstanding monies allegedly withheld as a result of previous strike, leadership of the Guild directed that all clinics and General outpatients departments, GOPD, would remain shut, while all elective surgeries were suspended while only emergencies and critically ill patients were to be attended to.
At the Lagos State University Teachiing Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, a number of patients, most of who arrived as early as 6:30am were later turned back after several hours of waiting for attention.
When Chat212 arrived the hospital around 9:30am, there was calm at the entrance gates, even right up to the wards.
Things were looking normal and the situation at the gate however, apparently gave hope to many of the patients that their appointments with doctors at the hospital would be kept.
Unfortunately, many received the shock of their lives on arrival at the Health Records department where the scenario was a contrast of what was happening outside.
Confusion and anxiety
There was confusion and anxiety as patients who came early were being handed back their hospital cards by officials of the Department, even as new patients who were yet to obtain their hospital cards were not given attention.
The commotion extended to the Out Patient Department where a large group of patients, out of frustration resorted into a shouting match with hospital staff who insisted on returing the patients cards they had ealier collected.
Some of the angry patients argued that they were given appointments and should be seen by the doctors who gave them appointments.
In a heated moment, a patient who identified himself as Idowu Ajayi stated; “ The whole process is so confusing. How i wish somebody alerted me yesterday that there will be strike today, i would not have bothered coming here.
Ajayi told Chat212 was in the hospital for check up. “I was given appointment by the doctor to review my drugs. I was placed on a special medication and the doctor said I should come back today for him to be sure whether I should continue with the drugs or stop.
“But here I am today no body to attend to me. The problem now is that I do not know if I am to continue with the drugs or stop them. I am confused,” he said with tears rolling down his cheeks.
However, despite all the shouts and arguments, patients who submitted their cards earlier whose cards were returned were asked to go and get another appointment date as no single doctor was around to attend to them.
At the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital, patients need emergency cares were turned back irrespective of their conditions.
Discharged of patients
Chat212 observed that some relatives had begun to move their loved ones out of the hospital. Some healthcare staff confirmed the development and said it was normal in such circumstances. A few remarked that they were not taking chances.
The pathetic sight of a patient who came in a taxi with a three degree burns elicited sighs from observers. The patients simply identified as Mummy Uche wept unconjtrollably as the nurses at the Accident and Emergency unit told her point blank that there was no doctor on ground and urged her relative who brought her to the hospital to take her away.
Moves by the patient to obtain information from the unidentified nurse were severely rebuffed. “Can’t you hear? I told you there is no doctor on ground you are asking of a consultant. No doctor, go elsewhere.” The nurse shouted.
Normalcy at Isolo General Hospital
At Isolo General Hospital, the situation was the opposite. Right from the outpatient departments, Ante natal care clinic, family planning clinic, Accident and Emergency, Maternal and Child care centre to the wards, healthcare activities were going on uninterrupted. All the consulting rooms were busy with doctors attending to patients.
Strike in force at Igando
At Igando General Hospital, healthcare services were also grounded to halt as doctors abandoned their duty post for nurses. Only emergency cases were attended to at the hospital.
Meanwhile the Lagos state Government has described as “unlawful demands” the strike embarked by the doctors.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, reacting to the development yesterday,stated: “It has come to the attention of the State Government that some doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild have commenced yet another strike action on account of the non-payment of their wages during the period of their previous strike.
“It is pertinent to stress for public information that the said strike was an illegal action, just as the current one. On the previous occasion, the doctors went on what they called a “sympathy strike” at the request of their professional association, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) which then had a dispute with the Federal Government.
“They had no trade dispute with the State Government (their employer). It is also instructive to note that doctors in private employment, who are also members of the NMA, did not join the so-called “sympathy strike”.
“It is a fact that those health workers who did not work during the stated period were not paid. This “no work no pay rule” is not just a policy of the State Government as alleged. It is in line with international employment practices and the Trade Disputes Act, a federal legislation, which is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria.
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