Josephine Oguntoyinbo
& Saheed Ibrahim

|

As the industrial strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) enters day 33 today, Nigerians have begun to recount their ordeals in the hands of shylock private hospitals who milked them dry.
Many others who said they could not afford the outrageous bills have resorted to spiritualists and herbal medications to treat their illnesses.
Those who spoke with The Hope narrated their near death experiences, noting that they spent outrageous amount of money at private clinics.
It will be recalled that NARD down tool on August 2, 2021, on grounds of inability of the Federal Government to implement the agreements it entered with the union 113 days after it suspended the previous strike as a reason for the industrial action.
According to the National President, NARD, Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, other reasons for the strike
included poor working environment, irregular payment of doctors’ salaries and hazard allowance of N5000 which was reviewed last in 1991.
Narrating his experience, a man, Alafe Francis, whose wife recently gave birth to their first child, told The Hope that he almost lost the baby due to the doctors’ strike.
He revealed that he had to pay huge amount of money at a private hospital to get the baby delivered.
Also speaking, Miss Moyin Adesipe disclosed that her parents went as far as Idanre because doctors in government hospitals in Akure were not working.
Sharing his experience with The Hope, Mr Jeremiah Elebute revealed that he had to spend N93, 000 to treat “malaria” in a private hospital in Lagos State.
“I went to General Hospital in Sango Ota, but the place was deserted because there were no doctors to attend to patients. I could not even think twice because I was feeling so weak and dying.
“So, I was rushed to a private hospital, where I was given injection and intravenous fluids. I was given a bill of N93, 000. Even a friend of mine paid N143, 000 in one private hospital to get himself treated,” he told The Hope.
Another patient, Miss Kemisola Orilolowo told The Hope that she had resorted to local herbs to treat herself.
She said she was down with typhoid, but none of the government doctors were on ground and she could not afford a private clinic.
“My mummy had to make herbal concoction for me. Afterall, they said herbal concoctions are very effective to kill typhoid parasite.
As it stands, there is no sign that the industrial action will be called off soon as meetings between FG and NARD have produced no positive result.
While speaking with News agency of Nigeria, NARD Publicity Secretary, Dr Dotun Oshikoya berated the attitude of the Federal Government towards its members and the ripple effects on the people.
“If the FG was sincere, the on-going strike should have ended by now. The strike is four weeks old and nothing has been done despite the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April as members are yet to collect salaries.
Meanwhile, Members of the Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and their affiliates have suspended their industrial action following intervention by lawmakers and other stakeholders in the state.
The State Chairman, Dr. Stella Adegbehingbe, disclosed this while interacting with the State House of Assembly Committee on Health and other stakeholders.
Adegbehingbe, who noted that the strike had triggered mortality among patients who patronise quacks said medical practitioners in the state would return to work as soon as possible in the interest of the people who are seriously in need of medical attention in government hospitals.
The NMA Chairman, who thanked the lawmakers and other stakeholders for their intervention, called for prompt payment of their outstanding dues to act as stimulants to members, who have been out of work for sometimes.
Other affiliate members who spoke at the parley urged government to look into payment of stipulated welfare packages to doctors as a way of checkmating massive drift of professionals in the medical profession.
Responding, the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr. Abiodun Falaye appreciated the medical practitioners for keeping to the tenets of their profession.
Dr. Falaye assured that the Executive and the Legislative arms would fashion out an amicable solution to the issue.
The Committee members pledged to reach out to stakeholders with a view to ironing out grey areas and stemming industrial disputes in the health sector of the state.
They expressed deep concern about the effect of the strike on the people, noting that the industrial dispute had lasted for too long, hence the need to put an end to it.
Meanwhile, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has reiterated the determination of his administration to leave no stone unturned to achieve quality health care delivery for the people of the state.
Akeredolu declared this while declaring open the Examiners’ Workshop tagged “Akure 2021” organised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria with the theme “Enhancing Professional Nursing and Midwifery Examination Outcome Through Educator-Clinician Synergy.”
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, Akeredolu observed that there was a huge gap between theoretical knowledge and practice in many professional fields, nursing inclusive, hence the need to bridge the gap.
While commending the organisers of the workshop for thinking in line with the global best practices, Akeredolu opined that nurses have the unique role of carrying for communities in all settings and that the essence of this unique role cannot be compromised, hence the need to build synergy between the educator in the class and the clinicians in the clinical settings.
Arakunrin who said he was of the belief that health is a fundamental human right, a critical indicator of human development and global priority, informed that his administration has launched the state Contributory Health Scheme, kick-starting with “Abiyamo” Maternal-and-Child Health Insurance Scheme aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.
“To have effective and efficient facilities to drive the programme, five additional hospitals across the state have been designated as Mother and Child-Friendly Hospitals. The establishment of the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital with the construction of modern facilities in Akure and Ondo-city is also one of the landmark achievements of our administration,” he added.