Hello Friends!
As the strike embarked upon by doctors in the employ of Lagos State Government lingers, pain and anguish have now become the lot of many patients in government-owned hospitals.
Some patients who spoke to PUNCH Metro decried the situation, claiming that their ailments had deteriorated since the strike commenced.
They appealed to the striking doctors and the government to resolve their differences.
At Ifako General Hospital, Agege, many patients were seen unattended to. A 65-year-old man Mr. Lamidi Akanbi, said his sickness had worsened.
“When I came to the hospital today (Monday), I was asked to wait outside; that somebody would attend to me. But now, I have spent over six hours, nobody has come. I appeal to the government to settle the problem with the doctors in the interest of the people,” Akanbi said.
Another patient, Suliat Odebo, said she was diagnosed of tuberculosis about three weeks ago, but regretted that since then she had yet to receive medical attention.
“We heard that government is planning to sack the striking doctors and replace them with student- doctors and others. I think that is just another wrong step; it is like postponing the evil day. I appeal to Governor Babatunde Fashola not to allow himself to be deceived by his aides and his ‘emergency advisers’.”
Some patients who spoke to PUNCH Metro decried the situation, claiming that their ailments had deteriorated since the strike commenced.
They appealed to the striking doctors and the government to resolve their differences.
At Ifako General Hospital, Agege, many patients were seen unattended to. A 65-year-old man Mr. Lamidi Akanbi, said his sickness had worsened.
“When I came to the hospital today (Monday), I was asked to wait outside; that somebody would attend to me. But now, I have spent over six hours, nobody has come. I appeal to the government to settle the problem with the doctors in the interest of the people,” Akanbi said.
Another patient, Suliat Odebo, said she was diagnosed of tuberculosis about three weeks ago, but regretted that since then she had yet to receive medical attention.
“We heard that government is planning to sack the striking doctors and replace them with student- doctors and others. I think that is just another wrong step; it is like postponing the evil day. I appeal to Governor Babatunde Fashola not to allow himself to be deceived by his aides and his ‘emergency advisers’.”
Lateefat Musbau is suffering from acute typhoid fever and was rushed to the hospital but nobody was on the ground to attend to her.
At the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, it was learnt that student-doctors had been drafted to attend patients.
A few patients at LASUTH confirmed that the student- doctors were the ones attending to those who wished to see them.
“I had better come back. I can’t allow these student- doctors to attend to me,” a patient, Godwin Okubo, said.
A woman, Mrs. Christianah Aduloju, who spoke with PUNCH Metro at the hospital, said she came to check if there would be any doctor to attend to her 10-year-old son.
She said, “I don’t want to make the mistake of bringing him all the way here in the evening for his doctor’s appointment and realise that nobody is available to attend to him. That’s why I’ve decided to come and check first.
“I wish the government will just resolve the problem as soon as possible, because we are the ones who will suffer.”
PUNCH METRO also visited the Gbagada General Hospital and observed that there were few patients in the hospital.
A patient, Mr. Taiwo Bobade, said he was advised to return for medical attention when the strike is called off.
Bobade said, “A senior medical doctor at the hospital who is the only doctor available asked me to come back after the strike might have been called off.
“I don’t even know what will become of my health if I wait till then; neither do I know what to do next. The state government should not fold its arms. Our health should not be toyed with.”
A woman, Jumoke Oloyede, whose relation is being treated for diabetes at the hospital, said it was high time the ongoing strike was stopped.
She said, “My brother has been in this hospital before the strike. Though he is being taken care of by the nurses, he is not receiving adequate medical attention.
“This situation is really worrisome. For how long would he be denied access to good health care?”
One of our correspondents who visited the Lagos Island General Hospital on Broad Street observed that the hospital was deserted as only 10 patients were seen in the waiting room.
It was learnt that although most of the doctors are on strike, about five were still working and seemed not to be overwhelmed.
A non-medical worker, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said some doctors were beginning to back down and were giving up on the strike.
She added that when the strike began, the hospital was overwhelmed by the large number of patients but recently, patients were no longer coming like before.
She said, “Sometimes I’m here at the hospital at midnight for my shift. To my knowledge, no patient has been turned down as nurses have been working hard to keep the hospital afloat.”
Culled from The Punch.
xoxo
Simply Cheska...
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