Federal Government Hospitals in Lagos join Sacked Doctors in Solidarity Strike

Activities at government owned hospitals in Lagos may be totally shut down from today as doctors in Federal hospitals will begin a solidarity strike in support of their dismissed colleagues in the state-government’s service.

Patients who would want to go to the Federal healthcare centres and hospitals today may have to find alternative means of getting treatment as the strike would affect consultation and admission of  new patients into all the hospitals in Lagos.

The affected hospitals include; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi; Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Meta; Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, among others.

Dr. Temiye Edamisan, the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, who announced the decision yesterday, said the strike was to protest against the sacking of 788 medical doctors by the state government and would continue indefinitely until the sacked doctors were recalled by the state government.

He said, “We are withdrawing services till the state government recall the sacked doctors and start a genuine dialogue and negotiation. This is to fight injustice and we are pained to do this.”

President of Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos University Teaching Hospital branch,  Dr. Adetunji Adenekan, said all emergency units will be locked and no new patients will be admitted, explaining that only patients on admission will be attended to.

He described the sack of 788 doctors as “an insult to the doctors, the profession, as well as the patients. By sacking a total of 788 doctors, the state has succeeded in increasing the patients ratio to 50,000 to a doctor.”

He said, “We will embark on a statewide solidarity strike action which will commence by 08:00hours on Friday, 18th of May, 2012.

“All emergency wards would be shut down. We will not admit new patients. Only patients that are already in the wards would be taken care of during this indefinite strike. “Our view is that an injustice to one is an injustice to all.”

It’s really sad that it had to result to this. With the Federal Hospitals now joining in the strike, access to affordable health care in Lagos state may be totally inexistent.

Once again, we call on the Lagos state government and the doctors to find a peaceful resolution to their grievance as the inaccessibility to quality health care in the state is having a negative impact on the lives of its residents.

News Source: Punch | Premium Times | Vanguard