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Patients at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) were discharged in droves yesterday, as the second day of a three-day warning strike by doctors paralysed services at the facility.
The Nation observed that several wards at LASUTH were deserted, with red ribbons tied across entrances to indicate restricted access. Only critical patients remained on admission, attended to by nurses still on duty.
However, this relief may be short-lived, as nurses in the state have announced plans to begin their own strike today.
One nurse, who declined to be named, told The Nation: “We are even starting our own strike this night. We deserve many remuneration benefits, which we are not getting.”
Another nurse on duty confirmed the development, which threatens to compound the health care crisis already gripping the state’s public hospitals.
On Monday, The Nation reported that the Medical Guild, the umbrella body for doctors in the state government’s employ, had embarked on a three-day warning strike to protest salary-related grievances.
The doctors alleged “illegal and disrespectful” deductions from their July salaries and the continued non-payment of 12 months’ arrears to honorary consultants under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
A visit to LASUTH on Monday also revealed empty wards and frustrated patients, some of whom said they were asked to return home, as no doctors were available to attend to them.
“I brought my mother for a follow-up, but we were told to come back next week. There are no doctors,” said one patient’s relative at the out-patient department.
In a post on its official X handle on Monday, the Medical Guild reiterated its directive for members to fully comply with the strike, warning of sanctions for defaulters.
Lagos State Ministry of Health, in a statement, acknowledged the industrial action and appealed for restraint.
“We recognise the importance of our health care professionals and are committed to resolving the issues at hand. We urge the Guild to return to the negotiating table for the sake of the public,” the ministry said. (The Nation)
