Regardless of the continued strike by members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Affiliation of Nigeria (MDCAN), well being companies are nonetheless being rendered in some hospitals in Abuja, the nation’s capital metropolis, and Lagos State.
Whereas the strike has disrupted elective companies in some services, findings by PREMIUM TIMES present that emergency and significant care stay operational as hospitals try and mitigate the impression of the economic motion.
The affiliation had on Monday declared a seven-day warning strike over alleged authorities’s failure to take vital steps in addressing its calls for.
The strike, which commenced in all Nigerian universities and hospitals within the early hours of Monday, 18 November, is predicted to proceed till 24 November, until the federal authorities intervenes.
MDCAN is an affiliation of medical and dental consultants who’re specialists in numerous fields of medication and dentistry, holding the very best {qualifications} of their professions.
Their duties embody coaching medical docs, offering specialist healthcare companies to sufferers, and conducting analysis throughout medical fields.
MDCAN’s members work in authorities and non-governmental hospitals, in addition to tertiary and secondary well being services nationwide.
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Impression on well being companies
On the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jabi, sufferers reported blended experiences. Whereas emergency circumstances are being attended to, many guests expressed frustrations over delays.
“I got here this morning, solely to be informed some individuals are on strike. I truthfully don’t know what to do proper now,” mentioned a visibly upset lady.
One other affected person mentioned he visited the hospital yesterday however wasn’t attended to as a result of strike. He was informed to return early within the morning to be among the many 20 individuals who could be attended to throughout the early hours of the day.
“I learnt consultants are on strike however in the event you come early they’ll attend to you, it’s only 20 folks per day they attend to. I used to be right here yesterday, I couldn’t do something, I had to return residence”.
A physician on the emergency ward mentioned solely sufferers with emergency circumstances will likely be attended to. “Advisor docs are on strike, however sufferers on the emergency wards are nonetheless being attended to, so long as it’s an emergency you may come straight to the ward,” he mentioned.
At Wuse Common Hospital, Abuja, well being actions have been nonetheless being carried out with no disruption as they didn’t participate within the strike.
“They’ve been attending to folks since morning however solely that the process is gradual and tiring,” a affected person on the dental ward mentioned.
Asokoro District Hospital was additionally offering uninterrupted companies, sustaining its common operations and making certain continuity of affected person care.
Regular affected person circulate and hospital actions have been noticed. Medical companies, together with consultations and coverings, have been being offered with out interruption. Hospital employees have been finishing up their duties as anticipated, and no seen indicators of disruption or disturbance have been famous on the time PREMIUM TIMES’ visited
A employees member from the Servicom unit, who wished to stay nameless, confirmed that the hospital has not joined the strike. “I do know that there needs to be a strike, however there’s no strike right here,” she mentioned. “Usually, this hospital is a Good Samaritan, even when there’s a strike. If it’s critical, they would be the final to affix.”
Samuel Godwin, a mother or father who introduced his daughter to the hospital for surgical procedure, additionally attested to the hospital’s regular operations.
“I introduced my daughter earlier this morning, and I haven’t seen any disruption of actions.
“One would hardly know if there’s a strike. Actually, I wasn’t conscious of it till you talked about it. My daughter is about to be operated on; if there was a strike, this wouldn’t have been attainable,” he mentioned.
Moreover, Hauwa Ibrahim, a pregnant lady who visited the hospital for antenatal care, reported receiving immediate consideration. “I got here for my antenatal appointment and was attended to with none delay,” she mentioned.
Skeletal actions have been additionally occurring on the Nationwide Hospital, Abuja when our reporter visited.
The hospital’s spokesperson, Tayo Haastrup, mentioned the hospital is attending to emergency circumstances.
“We’re attending to vital and emergency circumstances, but when it isn’t an emergency, we can’t admit the affected person for now,” he mentioned.
He, nevertheless, mentioned resident docs and different healthcare staff are on responsibility.
LASUTH
Sufferers at LASUTH are receiving consideration throughout numerous departments, together with surgical outpatient, physiotherapy, eye clinic, and medical emergency.
A PREMIUM TIMES reporter noticed that resident docs and nurses have been nonetheless attending to sufferers regardless of the continued strike.
Biola Adeyeni, a affected person ready outdoors the attention clinic mentioned: “It doesn’t appear to be there’s a strike as a result of we’re being attended to at once.”
Victor Oladimeji, one other affected person leaving the clinic, additionally famous that companies on the hospital are usually not disrupted.
“So long as docs can be found, I don’t assume the consultants occurring strike has any detrimental impression.”
An official who doesn’t need to be named confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that resident docs are attending to sufferers now.
“Hospitals gained’t collapse as a result of consultants are on strike,” the supply mentioned.
Talking with PREMIUM TIMES, the Chairman of the MDCAN LASUTH department, Olayinka Atilola, clarified that regardless of no industrial dispute with Lagos State, they need to take part within the nationwide strike. Nonetheless, emergency companies will proceed.
An earlier communique to department members signed by the chairman acknowledged that the strike would have an effect on solely elective companies whereas emergency and in-patient companies would proceed with none disruption.
It added that members who’re employees of the LASU Faculty of Medication will proceed to present their lectures however shall not take part in any main examinations within the school inside the interval of the strike.
“That MDCAN LASUTH will intensify all ongoing engagements to make sure that all the present homegrown options to the problems resulting in the strike are improved upon and institutionalised for sustainability,” it added.
Consultants demand
MDCAN, in a communique signed by its Nationwide President, Mohammad Mohammad, expressed considerations over the exclusion of medical and dental lecturers within the choice course of for the Vice-Chancellor place at Nnamdi Azikiwe College, Awka, Anambra State.
The affiliation criticised the factors used within the appointment course of, which it argued unfairly sidelined certified medical and dental professionals.
It additionally demanded the harmonisation of the retirement age for medical and dental consultants to 70 years to assist curb the impression of physician migration.
Moreover, it requires medical lecturers to be paid in response to the Consolidated Medical Wage Construction (CONMESS), addressing disparities of their emoluments.
“From September 2023, we moved the strike to January 2024. There was an ultimatum in January, however the federal authorities pleaded, promising to deal with our calls for inside six weeks, however they failed,” Mr Mohammad informed PREMIUM TIMES in an interview on Tuesday afternoon.
He mentioned the affiliation ultimately waited until Could and September 2024 for the federal government to take motion and tackle its calls for, but no main steps have been taken.
“It was in October we gave 21 days ultimatum. You’d discover that we’re not considering occurring strike that’s the reason we nonetheless gave a one-week window after the ultimatum expired,”.
He mentioned the MDCAN has 83 chapters representing 83 educating hospitals, Federal Medical Centres (FMC) and specialist hospitals, and they’re all complying with the continued strike.
READ ALSO: Nigeria medical consultants declare seven-day warning strike
Means ahead
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Well being, Ipalibo Banigo, is assembly with the hanging medical consultants on Wednesday.
Mr Mohammad confirmed this to PREMIUM TIMES, noting that the affiliation is longing for a optimistic end result.
He mentioned: “We’ve a gathering with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Well being on Wednesday afternoon, and we will certainly be there.
“All we want is concrete actions as a result of guarantees have been made for over a yr and a half, and it’s nonetheless but unfulfilled.”
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