By Mike Adeyemi
Medical doctors in Kwara State owned hospitals refused to comply with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) directive for a nationwide strike over the non implemanetation of the proposed new minimum wage, Pilot Health can report.
The strike which began last Thursday across the nation paralysed activities in all sectors of the nation’s economy.
A visit to public hospitals within Ilorin, the state capital on Saturday revealed that the doctors shunned the industrial action as they were seen attending to patients.
It was however observed that government health workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) joined in the strike which has affected healthcare service delivery in the state.
At the General Hospital, Ilorin patients were denied admission and advised by the doctors to go for health care in private hospitals as a result of absence of nurses at the health facility.
Speaking on the development, a doctor at the General Hospital, Ilorin who craved anonymity because he is not in position to speak to the press, said the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) is not an offshoot of NLC, reason members shunned the labour union’s strike order.
According him, the industrial action has almost paralysed healthcare delivery in the hospitals with nurses and other health workers on strike.
“The labour union is agitating for upward review of minimum wage. Of course that is good, but the effect of the strike is painful considering the plight of patients particularly those in critical condition who are left for few doctors to handle their cases.
“The industrial action has adversely hindered all inclusive medical services. The work has become enormous for doctors. As a result of this, we have stopped admitting patients because the nurses that will administer routine documentation of file have down tools.
“What we now do is to refer new patients to private hospitals in the state. It is the common man that will bear the brunt of this development,” he lamented.
In the same vein, a medical doctor who also begged not to have his name in print, said doctors have been going about their duties unhindered.
“We are not part of the NLC, so we cannot just abandon patients to their fate. Though the work load is massive.”
He however called for a dialogue between the labour union and the Federal Government in order to resolve the impasse.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director, General Hospital Ilorin, Prof. Abdulfatah Olokoba confirmed that nurses in the hospital down tool in line with directive of the NLC.
He explained that to manage the situation, patients with mild health issues were discharged while doctors attended to those in critical health condition and were on admission.
All efforts to reach the Chairman of JOHESU, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Comrade Olutunde Oluwawumi, proved abortive as calls to his mobile phone were not picked and text messages not responded to.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday suspended its ongoing nationwide strike following promises by the Federal Government to reconvene the tripartite committee on national minimum wage on October 4 .
The suspension of the warning strike took effect from yesterday .
Announcing the decision in Abuja on Sunday, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, stated that the labour action was suspended to enable the tripartite committee to hold its crucial meeting and conclude its work.
