As the nationwide strike by members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)   enters its 28th day today, it has been tales of woe and hardship for patients and relatives all over the country.

At different hospitals visited nation-wide, the story has been the same.

Many of the hospitals visited are deserted with few patients seen trickling in and out of the once busy hospital premises.

However, apart from resident doctors who are nowhere to be found, every other staff are on duty and busy rendering support services to patients.

Also, except for emergency and life threatening cases, hospitals nation-wide are almost on holiday. Few of the out patients that call at different hospitals for continuing treatment of course are attended to by senior medical staff.

They were seen checking medical cases, diagnosing, making prescriptions among others.

However, many of them will not grant interviews, but are busy making sure that minimally, human lives are not left to rot because of the strike. But the undeniable fact remains that the strike has negative impact on the people’s lives.

At the Accident and Emergency (A&E) ward of General Hospital, Odan, Lagos that used to be filled beyond capacity with people pressing against each other at the place in an effort to see doctors now wears a different look.

The once bubbly and around the clock working environment is like a ghost town at the time of visit. Though skeletal services are confessed to be rendered to few lucky patients during the early hours by senior staff.

A patient, Buraimoh Adewale Rasaq who is suffering from eye defect confessed that his journey to General Hospital started from Ebute-Metta Health Centre for Eye after being referred there by Surulere Health Centre.

According to him, he was referred to General Hospital, Odan because of high quality equipments there and competent staff, but was disappointed on getting there to discover that doctors are on strike.

‘It took me three days to be attended to by the senior staff of the hospital and not the medical doctors as they are on strike,’’ he added.

James Ifechi,  another  patient  seen at the hospital with  broken limb confessed that  he has  been  visiting the hospital   because the senior  medical staff  have been attending to him in spite of the strike.

He was actually seen leaving the hospital premises after being attended to.

He therefore pleaded with the   striking doctors to sheath their sword and call off  the strike for the sake of their patients.

The situation has been same at every government hospital across the country visited and patients have been languishing in agony for the high rate of medical treatment they are getting from private hospitals as alternative, while  many have lost  their  lives as they cannot  afford   private hospitals  bills.

As the strike has been recorded to have been claiming lives, in Delta State it has claimed another,   Mr Moses Solomon who unfortunately was the younger brother of the  Commissioner for Works in Delta State, Funkekeme Solomon .

The Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan described Moses Solomon’s death as one of the losses that the nation has witnessed as a result of the ongoing strike that is embarked upon by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

Uduaghan, a medical doctor turned politician in his address stated that it was important for the NMA to call off the strike, while the Federal Government looks at the issues at stake.

“The death of Mr Solomon was a sad reminder of the number of people dying every day, as a result of the NMA strike.”

However, he stressed that some of the deaths as has continued were avoidable if the doctors were to be on duty.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Yusuf- Badmus   condemned  the  strike,    describing it as selfish, unethical and illegal.

According to the nurses, the strike was a well calculated and orchestrated plan by the doctors to divert patients to their private clinics to milk them of their hard earned resources.

The group therefore advised the Federal Government to “stop all government employed doctors from establishing private clinics for the benefit of the citizens of this nation while still in government employment”.

According to the nurses, “They should be called to order because their incessant strike is a gimmick to further divert innocent patients to their private clinics where they (doctors) stand to benefit.” “The government should have a rethink on the undue attention they give them and do what is right.” “The government should revert to the era when administrators administered the hospitals/health facilities while health professionals, including doctors do their professional duties that they are being paid for.”

The group further advocated that all government health workers should have unified salary scales. “Difference should be entry/exit points and professional/peculiar allowances of the different cadres of workers. “This will go a long way in checking and preventing unhealthy rivalry and end to the incessant strike action, that leaves the innocent patient to suffer.”

The nurses, therefore,     encouraged patients to attend and patronise the hospitals despite the current strike. This, according to them, is because “other health professionals such as skilled midwives, the accident and emergency (A & E) nurses, intensive care nurses, orthopaedic nurses paediatric nurses, including the medical laboratory scientists, medical record officers, the radiographers, the physiotherapists and pharmacists, are on ground to attend to their health needs, even when the medical practitioners embark on their selfish and illegal strike; selfish in the sense that they are using the strike to force the Federal Government to stop the implementation of agreements and memorandum of understanding reached between JOHESU/APHA and Federal Government spanning between 2009 to date”.

The nurses again condemned what they described as “the unethical behaviour or practice of medical practitioners whereby in-patients are compulsorily discharged against their wish whenever NMA calls for industrial action.” “NMA does this to make it appear to the public and the press that the patients left the hospital because doctors are on strike. “The public at large must be made to know that most in-patients are in the hospital for comprehensive healthcare (physical and psychological) and are being taken care of by the nurses and other health professionals, except those that have been booked for surgical procedures or surgical operation. “The medical practitioner, therefore, has no moral or ethical justification to compulsorily force them (in-patients) out of the hospital to make the hospital empty because doctors are on strike,” NANNM insisted.

On their part, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State called on the NMA to end its current strike for the sake of the lives the doctors have sworn to save.

In a statement released in Abuja  recently by  Secretary of the Forum, Osaro Onaiwu, Jang begged the leadership of the NMA to remember their Hippocratic oath “as the strike is devastating the lives of the poor in our nation who can only afford medical care in government owned medical facilities”.

Meanwhile, at the third reconciliatory meeting between the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry that was convened by the Ndudi Elumelu-led House of Representatives Committee on Health.

NMA insisted on at least six months payment or half of the N13 billion arrears being demanded.

On this the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala declared that it was not captured in the 2014 national budget and any attempt to heed the doctors demand will have adverse effect on the economy.

Bright Okogu who represented her at the meeting insisted that the Federal Government will not be compelled to “print money” to pay the striking doctors. Moreover, the Budget Director General in his capacity warned that bowing to the doctors’ demand will open a floodgate similar request from pharmacists, nurses and other categories of health workers.

This position has already opened a floodgate of reactions and counter reactions as the NMA’s First Vice President Dr. Titus Ibekwe stated at the meeting. “We can’t promise to call off   unless we have a minimal thing we can return to our members with.”

With these positions people’s hopes are still left on the balance as which way the final outcome will tilt.

For the records, doctors’ demands in general terms include the creation of the office of a Surgeon-General of the Federation; reviewing doctors’ salary scale to reflect relativity in international best practices; reserving the position of the Chief Medical Director of a federal hospital exclusively for medical doctors and reversal of the appointment of paramedics as consultants.

Dr  Ofem Enang, Immediate past Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association in Cross River State stated that many blame doctors for embarking on strike without considering the Hippocratic oath.

‘’Anybody who knows the original Hippocratic oath knows that it says at the end of it that, “for all the things that you are required to do as a doctor (responsibilities to his/her patients and the society) may he/she enjoy the good life,  he added.”

However it was like a light at the end of tunnel when news filtered in that doctors will call of their strike by the weekend. The notion which is widely held even within the medical circles seems to give hope to patients and Nigerians.

In a communique issued at the end of National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, NARD said the government has failed to address their demands.

The communiqué, which was signed by NARD President, Jubril Abdullahi, and Acting Secretary General, Udu Chijoke Udu, stated that the positions proposed during the engagement with the government grossly fall short of our articulated demands.”

NARD, according to the communiqué, has resolved that all outstanding salaries and allowances of their  members must be paid in full with immediate effect.