The storm has been brewing in the Lagos State health sector over the months, broke on Tuesday as doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guide made good its threat to embark on indefinite strike over irreconcilable matters with the Lagos State government.
The Medical Guild, the umbrella body of the doctors serving in the state’s public hospitals, had on March 8 issued a 10-day ultimatum to government to pay all outstanding monies allegedly withheld as a result of previous strike, leadership of the Guild directed that all clinics and General outpatients departments, GOPD, would remain shut, while all elective surgeries were suspended while only emergencies and critically ill patients were to be attended to.
At the Lagos State University Teachiing Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, a number of patients, most of who arrived as early as 6:30am were later turned back after several hours of waiting for attention. There was confusion and anxiety as patients who came early were being handed back their hospital cards by officials of the Department, even as new patients who were yet to obtain their hospital cards were not given attention.
The commotion extended to the Out-Patient Department where a large group of patients, out of frustration resorted into a shouting match with hospital staff who insisted on returing the patients cards they had earlier collected.
Some of the angry patients argued that they were given appointments and should be seen by the doctors who gave them appointments.
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At Isolo General Hospital, the situation was the opposite. Right from the outpatient departments, Ante natal care clinic, family planning clinic, Accident and Emergency, Maternal and Child care centre to the wards, healthcare activities were going on uninterrupted. All the consulting rooms were busy with doctors attending to patients.
At Igando General Hospital, healthcare services were also grounded to halt as doctors abandoned their duty post for nurses. Only emergency cases were attended to at the hospital.
In the meantime, the Lagos state Government has described as “unlawful demands” the strike embarked by the doctors.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, reacting to the development yesterday stated: “It has come to the attention of the State Government that some doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild have commenced yet another strike action on account of the non-payment of their wages during the period of their previous strike.
“It is pertinent to stress for public information that the said strike was an illegal action, just as the current one. On the previous occasion, the doctors went on what they called a “sympathy strike” at the request of their professional association, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) which then had a dispute with the Federal Government.
“They had no trade dispute with the State Government (their employer). It is also instructive to note that doctors in private employment, who are also members of the NMA, did not join the so-called “sympathy strike”.
“It is a fact that those health workers who did not work during the stated period were not paid. This “no work no pay rule” is not just a policy of the State Government as alleged. It is in line with international employment practices and the Trade Disputes Act, a federal legislation, which is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria.