Ogun state doctors have claim to have had enough as they decide to go on an indefinite strike action today being Monday.
The doctors made the decision to embark on
an industrial action known at a press conference addressed by the chairman of
the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Oladunni Adetola, in Abeokuta.
According to the association, the strike
which will be restricted to Mondays and Tuesdays, is indefinite until the state
government accede to their demands.
The listed demands include recruitment of
more doctors, provision of drugs in hospital pharmacies, improved condition of
service, and improvement of basic infrastructure at the state hospitals.
The association in particular lamented a
situation where some general hospitals in the state have only one doctor
covering them.
Dr Adetola said, “Imagine a general
hospital having only a doctor covering it. Most of our hospitals have less than
half of the personnel they had about seven to eight years ago.
“The laboratories are not equipped and
common essential drugs are not available at the pharmacies, thereby pushing the
citizens to buy substandard drugs from outside the hospitals.”
Asked whether the association has informed
the government about their complaints, the chairman said series of letters have
been sent to appropriate quarters without results saying government should
provide quality health care because it is the right of the people.
He said, “Series of letters to call the
attention of the government to this anomaly have been written before now.
The effect is glaring in the poor health
indices of the state.
“As a professional body, we should justify
the confidence reposed in us. Health is a right and Ogun State citizens deserve
the best. It was resolved at an emergency general meeting of the association
that members should commence on a Monday and Tuesday strike every week starting
from Monday 13th June till above mentioned problems are corrected.“
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