Doctors’ strike: Nigerians appeal to FG, NMA to end face-off

(Nigeria) Some residents of Abakaliki on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, to reach a compromise, to end the ongoing doctors' strike in public interest.

The residents told News Agency of Nigeria in Abakaliki, Eboyin State that the current face-off between the government and the NMA was already having negative consequences on the nation’s health sector.

According to them, concessions and compromise are needed to end the dispute for the overall interest of the nation.

They said that the three weeks old industrial action had resulted in a number of casualties in the hospital due to lack of adequate medical attention to patients.

Mr Anthony Agara, a civil servant, said it was only the ordinary citizens that suffered the impact of the strikes.

“There are so many deaths due to lack of proper medical attention resulting from the current face-off between government and the resident doctors.

“We, therefore, appeal to all parties involved to consider the plight of the common citizens by resolving the dispute,’’ he appealed.

Mrs Ngozi Onwe, a businesswoman, said she lost a close relation who was moved from the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, FETHA, to a private clinic when the strike began.

“I am appealing to the relevant authorities do something very urgently to bring this strike to an end. I lost my mother-in-law who was on admission in FETHA when the strike began and was moved to a private clinic without good medical equipment and expertise.

“There are series of similar incidents since the strike started. My appeal is that government should do something to end the crisis,’’ Onwe said.

Others were Miss Linda Ikpo and Mr Osondu Igwe who called for understanding between the government and NMA to end the crisis in the interest of the masses.

Meanwhile, activities at the FETHA have been paralysed while nurses and other paramedical staff were rendering skeletal services to few patients.

Operators of private clinics in Abakaliki now admit patients at a very exorbitant price while those who could not afford the bill, now patronise medical quacks or traditional medical practioners.

It would be recalled that the medical doctors working in government owned health institutions across the country embarked on an indefinite strike over an alleged non implementation of agreement reached between the union and government.

In Makurdi where the strike is also taking its toll on the public, the Chief Medical Director  of the Federal Medical Centre, Dr. Mathias Oyigeya, urged resident doctors to consider the plight of the patients and call off the action.

Oyigeya told NAN in Makurdi that health workers should channel their energies towards taking care of patients rather than embarking on incessant industrial actions.

The CMD also appealed to the workers to make adequate use of the facilities at their disposal and improve health service delivery in the country.

Oyigeya said the hospital had started discharging patients whose cases were less critical.

``We have discharged few patients that were placed on observation and other patients whose cases were less critical and could still be treated while they are still at home. Our major challenge is the outdoor patients, but we have made all the necessary internal arrangements to make sure that we attend to as many as possible.

``Definitely we cannot give 100 per cent services at the moment, `` he said.

The industrial action has forced some federal health facilities to embark on skeletal services