The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), on Friday, insisted that it would continue the ongoing nationwide strike until the Federal Government implements the terms of their agreement, including the payment of salary arrears and the life insurance claims of their colleagues who died from COVID-19.
This is even as drug manufacturers also lament that the strike action by the doctors has taken a toll on their business, as sales of drugs in most hospitals has dropped.
The Federal Government had claimed it signed a Memorandum of Action (MOA) with the association towards averting the ongoing nationwide strike by resident doctors, which commenced on Thursday, April 1.
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• Says FG’s assurances not concrete despite signing agreement
There are fears the poor health indices recorded by the country and the spread of COVID-19 may get worse as the ongoing strike by resident doctors paralysed activities in 98 per cent of government hospitals nationwide.
When The Guardian reporters visited Federal Government-owned hospitals and health institutions across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, patients and their relatives were seen groaning in despair. Most of the hospitals had started discharging patients while others had stopped admitting new ones.
Resident doctors in most of the hospitals visited complied fully with the strike directive from their parent body. Only medical consultants and nurses were seen offering skeletal services.
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Patients at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, are grappling with scarcity of water and a reduction in the number of surgeries done in the hospital.
The situation, when Nigerian Tribune did an on-the-spot assessment of the toilets in several wards and departments, showed a situation that ranged from no taps running water to big black bowls that had little or no water in them, damaged toilets, water closets with urine deposited in them not flushed and locked toilet doors.
The situation was peculiar in toilets of the Casualty Accident and Emergency Complex, floors that house the departments of paediatrics, Central 4 Labour Special care baby unit, surgery, ophthalmology, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesia, electro-medical workshop, instruments, psychiatry, pathology, theatres 1 and 2, 3 and 4.
High compliance in UCH as resident doctors commence strike tribuneonlineng.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tribuneonlineng.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
ARD-UITH joins nationwide strike over welfare issues today.ng - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from today.ng Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.