As the indefinite nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress enters the second day, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Chapter, Dr Charles Aisudo, said its members are not part of the strike.
He noted that the doctors since the strike began on Monday, had been at their duty posts, prepared to handle medical and surgical emergencies.
Healthwise was in LASUTH to monitor the situation and reported that members of the NLC, at about noon, locked the hospital gates, preventing patients, relatives, doctors and other medical staff from entering the premises.
It was gathered that only pedestrians were allowed into the hospital after they had satisfactorily answered questions asked by the officials.
Our correspondent reports that two female doctors, whose names could not be ascertained, were denied entry into the hospital despite identifying themselves and presenting identification cards.
It took the intervention of the LASUTH-ARD president before they were allowed into the health facility.
Healthwise had reported that some healthcare workers under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and the Joint Health Sector Unions on Monday rendered skeletal services in Abuja hospitals.
On Friday, the Organised Labour announced an indefinite nationwide strike in response to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage from N60,000.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero stated that the strike would commence at midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
Aisudo, in a chat with an Healthwise in the LASUTH-ARD lounge, revealed that the hospital management had to call policemen from the Area F Police Station to intervene during the disruption of activities by the NLC.
He further noted that although doctors were not on strike, the strike action was disrupting their work and effectiveness.
The LASUTH ARD president stated that they were following the management’s order to only admit and attend to emergency cases.
“Doctors are not on strike. We are ready to work. The strike is affecting our work but we will do the little we can do. For some stable patients, the management has said we should discharge them. For non-stable patients, we still have to keep them in the ward.
“Elective cases, meaning surgeries planned for but not life-threatening, have been cancelled. We are not seeing any clinic cases but the plan is to admit emergencies,” he said.