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Doctors’ Strike: Consultants, house officers take over treatment at UITH

 

By Daniel Ayantoye

Following the on-going nationwide strike of resident doctors, consultants, house officers and nurses have taken over the treatment of patients at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.The indefinite strike, which commenced on Monday, entered its third day yesterday across the country.
Some consultants and house officers were noticed at the consulting offices of the facility attending to patients just as nurses were sighted caring for those on admission.
Our reporter, who was at the hospital premises, yesterday, observed that the out-patient and emergency wards, usually occupied by large number of patients were deserted with very few patients, being attended to.
An official, who confided in this medium, disclosed that the consultants only handle minor cases as some complicated ones such as surgeries are left until the resumption of the resident doctors or transferred to  other  facilities.
“Well the strike is highly effective as you can see but consultants and house officers are on ground to assist just that any complicated case will have to wait for the doctors to resume,” the official divulged.
According to him, the industrial action is also affecting some doctors trained abroad, who are currently at the hospital to undergo an exam organised by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Similarly, a consultant who also spoke on condition of anonymity lamented the insufficient number of consultants at the hospital compared to the resident doctors, adding that given the deficiency in workforce, efficiency becomes an issue.  He however urged the Federal Government to quickly intervene to avert mishap.
Meanwhile, due to shortage of manpower and experts, some patients, including a 2-year-old girl with an eye defect, from Ekiti State was yesterday turned back alongside her parents.
According to the father, Mr Ojo Adu, the eye challenge was f,irst noticed when his daughter was three-month old. He added that they were at UITH for treatment of the eye for the sixth time.
“We were told that the doctors are on strike and we should go and come back. My daughter is two years and two months old. We came here from Ekiti State and this is our sixth time of coming,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management of UITH in a statement issued by the Head Corporate Affairs Unit, Mrs Funmilayo Omojasola, yesterday, has assured of uninterrupted medical services at the hospital.
According to the statement, the management in an emergency meeting held on Tuesday and presided over by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, lamented the recurrence of the strike action by the resident doctors across the nation, describing it as a wakeup call to consultants and other categories of health workers of the hospital.
Reacting to reports that some patients were turned back at the facility, Omojasola, said, “You are just giving us this information and it will be investigated, however for other issues, the press statement we released has addressed it.”

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