Medical services at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, were yesterday disrupted, as doctors began strike over unresolved salary deductions and welfare issues.
The Nation observed that the usually bustling medical facility was deserted, with many wards and consulting rooms under lock and key. No patients were seen around the hospital premises, and workers not directly affected by the strike carried on with minimal activities.
A visit to LASUTH showed that doctors stayed away from duty posts, leaving patients stranded. At the maternity and laboratory wings, many patients, who had scheduled appointments, were forced to return home due to the absence of medical personnel.
A patient, Mrs. Temilade Ojo, who had come to receive her test results at the labour facility within LASUTH, said she was disappointed to learn that there was no doctor to attend to her.
“I came from Egbeda to get my results and hopefully see the doctor, but after waiting for more than an hour, someone told me the doctors are on strike. I had to go back home,” she said.
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Confirming the development, a card registrar at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “There’s no work today. The doctors have joined the strike. Most of the departments are not functioning.”
Similarly, at Isolo General Hospital, skeletal services were rendered. A hairstylist, who visited the facility in the morning, told The Nation that only a few doctors were on duty.
“There were some nurses around, but only one or two doctors were attending to patients. Many people left after waiting for long without being attended to,” she said.
Igando General Hospital was also affected by the strike. A worker at the facility, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had heard that doctors at the northern part of Nigeria were planning to commence their own strike the following day.
The warning strike, declared by the Medical Guild, the umbrella body of doctors employed by the Lagos State Government, is in protest over alleged unilateral deductions from salaries, poor welfare conditions and unresolved discrepancies in remuneration.
The Guild announced the commencement of a three-day warning strike during a news conference on July 26. According to its leadership, the industrial action became inevitable following government’s failure to address their concerns despite meetings and assurances.
Addressing the situation, Lagos State Ministry of Health in a statement appealed to the doctors to reconsider their stance and allow ongoing negotiations to reach a peaceful resolution.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised and wish to assure the public that all grievances are being looked into with utmost sincerity and urgency,” said Dr. Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, director of Public Affairs at the ministry.
The ministry said contingency plans had been activated to minimise the impact on health care delivery during the strike. However, The Nation’s findings show that these plans have yet to significantly bridge the gap created by the absence of doctors.
