Hospitals across the country, yesterday, mapped out options to mitigate the effects of the indefinite strike embarked upon, yesterday, by resident doctors,under the aegis of National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD. nationwide.
Nigeria, MDCAN, to doctors on housemanship not to join the strike, so they could offer services to the public. However, normal services were in place at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, yesterday.
Normal services were also observed at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, and Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba. From the Accident and Emergency to other departments such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, including Surgery, Paediatrics, Medical Outpatients Clinics and Labour, patients were being attended to.
But in a chat, the President of the LUTH-ARD, Dr Sekumade Adebayo, said they were complying with the directive from the national body. “We have just received the national directive to embark on strike and we are in compliance with that. Our executives are monitoring the level of compliance as the strike is ongoing in LUTH.” Adebayo, however, noted that their members would go about the directive with a human face, stating that if need be, patients would be referred to centres where they can be taken care of.
Measures in place to mitigate effects—CMD LUTH Reacting to the development, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, said measures were in place to mitigate effects of the strike. Bode said the management would address the public after appraising the situation by today.
He told news men in a telephone chat: “Tomorrow (today) we will give a comprehensive report of the situation. Contingencies have been put in place as response to the strike. The senior doctors, house officers, and other non-residents are taking care of patients and there are no plans to discharge patients. “Most of the doctors are off duty because of the holidays. This is because we record low turnout of patients during festivities.” Also reacting, former president of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, LUTH chapter, Dr Omojuowolo Olubunmi, confirmed that only resident doctors and not consultants were on strike. “A few of our members will be on ground but will be running on a very low capacity. We know that the patients suffer most during strike like this. That is why the resident doctors are working hard to ensure that the strike is not prolonged.”
Vanguard
