Report by PUNCH correspondents, who monitored the strike, which began on Thursday, said that although the health institutions deployed consultants in attending to patients, the specialists could not cope with the number of patients who thronged the hospitals.
In some hospitals, where consultants could not cope with the heavy workload, patients, whose cases were not emergencies, were turned back.
But as resident doctors in Kano, Osogbo, Port Harcourt, Jalingo, Gombe, Enugu, Ibadan, Lagos and other parts of the country joined the strike, the Federal Government expressed anger over the industrial action, which began a few hours after the NARD signed an agreement with government.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, threatened that government would decide the fate of the doctors, if they refused to call off the strike before the weekend.
Recall that the NARD, an association of doctors undergoing residency training, had on Sunday said it would begin “a total and indefinite strike” on Thursday (yesterday) if the Federal Government refused to accede to its demands.
Among others, the doctors are demanding payment of salaries of house officers and an upward review of their N5, 000 hazard allowance.
The strike was effective in hospitals despite efforts by the National Assembly as well as the Ministry of Labour and Employment to prevent it.
Relatives withdraw patients in Kano hospitals
At the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, both in Kano, the strike paralysed activities.
Some relatives of patients on admission at the National Orthopaedic Hospital withdrew them from the hospital.
A relative, Mallam Sani Abdullahi, told The PUNCH that many patients were evacuated from the hospital on Wednesday in anticipation of the strike.
He said most of the patients evacuated were on admission at the Spine and Rehabilitation Centre.
Abdullahi stated, “Some of the patients evacuated were removed from the facility by their relatives who have the wherewithal to take them to private clinics.
“Other patients were also withdrawn from the hospital due to their critical conditions because their relatives cannot leave them in the hospital without proper medical attention.”
At the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State new patients were not admitted while consultants took over management of old patients from the striking resident doctors.
It was also learnt that some old patients that had already been stabilised were discharged because of the strike.
The Chairman of the NARD, OAUTHC chapter, Dr Kusoro Simeon, in a chat with The PUNCH, said the complaint with the strike had been total.
Also at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, one of our correspondents observed that consultants and nurses were overwhelmed by the high number of patients as resident doctors in the hospital joined the strike.
The Chairman of the hospital Medical Advisory Committee, Princewill Stanley, in an interview, stated, “Activities will slow down. The fact remains that this gridlock means patients will have to stay longer than expected.”
