by S’ola Filani

Following the ongoing Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) strike, Medical doctors at the Warri Central Hospital, Delta State, now chase away patients who visit the hospital to receive medical attention.

The chairman, National Medical Association, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Omojowolo said the ongoing national strike embarked upon by the doctors in government-owned hospitals might not be called off anytime soon as government was still not forthcoming in addressing the issues surrounding the strike.

Some of the doctors still appear at their various duty posts, but they order patients to leave the hospital premises to make the strike successful, Tribune reports.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the hospital at 12 noon on Thursday, nurses, students and other medical staff were on their duty posts unengaged and discussing the situation. 

Administrative workers, pharmacists, laboratory technologists, cleaners, medical record keepers, among others, were on ground. 

Most of the wards visited were empty, while one or two patients were seen in some of the wards and were being attended to by nurses. 

“We are not happy that we are not working because there is dignity in labour. The doctors’ strike is uncalled for as they are fighting for a no-just course,” a nurse, who identified himself as Ededho Onajite, stated. 

He said the request that only medical doctors who are consultants could emerge as Chief Medical Directors of a public hospital, which is the reason for the strike, was insane and uncalled for. 

Onajite chided the doctors for creating an impression that all medical and non-medical staff in the hospital are on strike, thereby dissuading patients from visiting for medical attention. 

 A senior nurse, who declined disclosing her name, reiterated to the Nigerian Tribune that “we are not on strike. All the work shifts for the nurses are on course. You can see that our nurses are at their duty posts.” 

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune spoke with two patients at the Female Surgical Ward and the Female Medical Ward in the hospital. 

One of the patients, an elderly woman, said though she did not feel the absence of the doctors because of the ingenuity and dutifulness of the nurses on duty, she appealed to the striking doctors to call off the strike. 

However, a Divisional Liaison Officer of the Red Cross, Agbamukoro Avwerute, who brought a patient to the hospital, described the strike as unfortunate, appealing to the Federal Government to settle whatever was the cause of the action amicably with the doctors. 

Agbamukoro, who frowned on the allegation that patients were being turned back from the hospital by some of the striking doctors,  commended the nurses and other medical staff for managing emergency situations. 

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the office of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, he was said not to be available. The office of the Public Relations Officer of the hospital was not also available for comments, and she did not pick the calls when she was called.