As the protest against the abduction strike of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, which began on Monday, enters day two, the patients at various government hospitals across the country have been left stranded with doctors shunin activities in hospitals across the country.
The doctors in government hospitals are protesting the abduction of their colleague Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who was kidnapped last December and has spent about eight months in the hands of the abductors. The current industrial action has left patients who depend on the doctor’s service to grapple for life.
Some of the patients who spoke to the press explained that the situation had delayed their hospital activities, with consultants and some other key medical officials avoiding their duty posts. Patients in the popular Federal Medical Centre Abuja expressed frustration with the turnout of events in the hospital.
Adamu Sarah, who spoke to the media, noted that the current industrial action by the doctors had delayed her diabetic consultation, which was postponed for weeks now. She explained that the current population in the hospital has made management reduce the number of cards taken to book appointments.
Another patient who had served the country for 65 years noted that the strike had caused further delays in their hospital activities. The patient, who spoke with deep frustration, commended the doctors for fighting for a just cause but begged the parties involved to resolve the problem as her condition required urgent attention.
The patients at the National Hospital Abuja noted that the current strike has caused them to abandon other daily activities and focus on getting appointments done due to the delay.
She noted that she only became aware of the strike after arriving at the hospital. According to her, the doctors in the hospital are doing their best, but the response is very slow; she noted that she has been forced to abandon her office due to the delay she has experienced in the hospital.
Another patient who spoke with mixed feelings noted that despite her being attended to, she spent hours, which has interrupted all her activities for the day. She pleaded with the government to address the issues, noting that so many people were currently suffering in the hospital.
In Edo State, south-south Nigeria, the situation has become the same as it looks in the federal capital territory. Patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were left stranded, with doctors avoiding their duties.
One of the patients, Felicia, who spoke with the media, expressed frustration, noting that she had travelled a long distance but arrived at the hospital to meet the ugly situation. She noted that she had spent about N300o to arrive at the hospital, but she never got attended to. She disclosed that she entered the hospital in the early morning to secure a good time, but it all failed.
Speaking at the National Hospital Abuja, the spokesperson, Dr Tayo Haastrup, noted that the doctors were being attended to despite the strike. He expressed his sympathy to the patients and doctors and offered his prayers for the rescue of the abducted medical practitioners.
The spokesperson disclosed that the consultants, nurses, and other healthcare workers were active in their duties in the hospital. He noted that the hospital would do its best to attend to all the patients without sending anyone back home.
Speaking on the strike, the NARD defended its actions, noting that the strike was essential to ask for the release of their colleague who had been away for more than eight months in the hands of the abductors.
In Sokoto State, at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, the doctors were not seen there, and patients were sitting around the hospital building in frustration.
The chairman of the association in the Sokoto branch, Dr Uzairu Abdullahi, noted that members in the Sokoto branch had joined other members of the association around the country to seek the release of their abducted member.
She explained that the strike was a means of calling the government to action, to take her case more seriously, and to facilitate her rescue.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, in an effort to charge the doctors to call off the industrial action, held a meeting on Monday with the leadership of NARD; despite the meeting, the association has failed to direct its members to call off the strike.
The National President of the Association, Dr Dele Abdullahi, noted that they had a meeting with the government; according to him, the minister had promised to communicate with the National Security Adviser on the situation to rescue the doctor. He noted that the minister had promised to communicate back with the association.
The current warning was invited by the National Body of Resident Doctors to call for the release of their fellow who has been abducted for over eight months in Kaduna. She was abducted alongside her husband, who was released by the bandits but held back the wife.
