Patients in government-owned hospitals across the federation have continued to lament the withdrawal of the services of members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), even as the union ends its three days warning strike today.

In some of the hospitals visited by Daily Newswatch during the strike, patients were left unattended to and in some cases, doctors were seen carrying out skeletal services.

At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Ondo State, patients were left unattended and as a result, many of them had to seek alternative medical attention in private hospitals.

Members of the union, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, justified the warning strike, saying the Federal Government had refused to implement the agreement reached with them, hence, the industrial action.

A member said “this is a warning strike to inform the government about our seriousness over the matter, if the government is adamant, then the full indefinite strike will commence very soon.”

Chairman, JOHESU FMC, Owo, Omoniyi Olajide, who spoke with journalists said the directive on the strike was from the national body of the union, which he said had to be strictly obeyed by all the chapters.

Olajide confirmed that the warning strike became necessary following the failure of the government to honour the agreement made between it and the union.

However, the strike did not affect the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, which offered full scale services.

Information Officer to the Chief Medical Director, Cephas Hough, who told our correspondent the CMD had travelled out of Makurdi, the state capital, said the hospital was not involved in the strike.

Even as he did not explain further, it was gathered that the hospital has not been participating in such strikes, because its staff have enhanced welfare scheme.

At the FMC, Makurdi, the Media Assistant to the CMD, Alex Ohemu, said the doctors have been offering services without the supporting staff.

Ohemu, disclosed that the hospital would not admit new patients within the period of the strike but emergency cases would continue to receive attention.

He explained that each ward has five medical doctors, while in the night, the number reduces to three, expressing hope that the hospital would begin to render full scale services when the strike is called off today.

Private hospitals in Oyo State, particularly in Ibadan, the state capital, have continued to reap from the strike as patients in dire need of medical attention now patronise them.

The three day national warning strike entered the second day yesterday ,the development which has adversely affected service delivery in the governement hospitals.

Only medical doctors carried out skeletal services at the University College Hospital (UCH),Ibadan; Adeoyo state hospitals at Yemetu and at Ring Road and many state hospitals visited at Eruwa, Oyo and Ogbomoso.

In all these hospitals, patients on admission are the worst hit as nurses, midwives and other allied workers shunned duty posts.

The strike, from investigation, was totally compiled with by the health workers and had led to absolute paralysis of the health care service delivery system in government hospitals in the state.

Relatives of patients in dire need of medical attention have already started patronising private hospitals because of the development.

A nurse at a private hospital at Mokola (names withheld) in Ibadan told Daily Newswatch that there had been increase in the number of patients admitted in the hospital since Wednesday night.

“Some of us who were supposed to be off duty have been recalled as our hospital now records more patients.”

Oyo State Chairman of Nurses and Midwives Association, Alhaji  Teslim Olawuwo, maintained that the compliance by the generality of the health workers was total, clarifying  that members on shift duty would resume work tomorrow (Saturday).

He explained further that the state government had intervened although he insisted that the strike  was a national directive.

The three day warning strike ends today although feelers from the striking health workers are not ruling out full blown strike if the workers demands are not met.

For instance, Chairman, JOHESU, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra State, Comrade Gerald Adinma  has cautioned that the current warning strike may transform into an indefinite strike if the federal government fails to abide by the agreement it willingly entered into with health workers.

Adinma who spoke to newsmen in company of the Secretary, Comrade Dauda, Smaila, condemned the attitude of the government in failing to fulfil the agreement..

He warned that  the rumoured plan to privatize the laboratory, pharmacy and the account departments in the teaching hospitals would be met with a stiff resistance, insisting it would not do any good to the health sector.

Comrade Adinma said that if the federal government  wants  to save cost through privatisation, it should start with the medical doctors who he said go home with jumbo salaries apart from  having their private hospitals.

A visit to the FMC, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, showed a few number of patients on admission, though not on serious matters.

In some of the wards, there were no patients at all, as only empty beds were seen with security men almost every where in the premises, restricting movements. Visitors were questioned before being allowed entrance into the hospital.

A patient at the Children’s ward of the hospital, who simply identified herself as Josephine said the doctors were attending to them, and equally administering drugs on them.

“Doctors are really trying and attending to us on time. As we are few in the hospital now, the doctors on duty are giving the few of us here the best treatment”.

But a visit to the casualty ward revealed a slight neglect of the patients by the doctors. When asked, one of the patients said he was yet to receive treatment from the doctor, pointing out that before the strike, they were being given proper attention. He wondered why such a sensitive sector like the health institution should be allowed to go on strike.

Perhaps due to the strike, friends and well wishers of the few patients in the hospital were seen coming in and going out, making sure that they lacked nothing.

The strike paralysed hospital activities in Nasarawa State especially the popular Dalhatu Arafat Specialist hospital (Dash), in Lafia, the state capital.

Daily Newswatch investigation revealed that the strike has left only doctors to battle with thousands of patients trouping the ever congested hospital almost on an hourly bases as usual.

A female patient, Hafsat Ahmed, told Daily Newswatch that they came to the hospital from the first day of the strike and “have not been given a bed space which is worsening our condition.”