Patients are pulling out of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in droves following a strike action called by doctors under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria.
Our correspondent, who visited the hospital in Calabar on Wednesday, observed that the development had paralysed activities at the hospital as patients with special cases had started making arrangements to relocate to private clinics within the city.
The doctors started the indefinite strike on Wednesday as a result of the non-payment of their allowances since February this year.
A trader, Mr. Jude Kumta, was seen leaving the hospital with his sick wife, saying it was risky leaving her in the ward without the close attention of her doctor.
“They just started the strike today and already there is no medical attention. Even before they went on strike, they had been on a 21-day warning strike which had initially paralysed activities. Now it is worse,” Kumta said.
Another patient, Mr. Dianabasi Edward, said he took the decision to leave the hospital because of lack of attention by medical personnel.
“We were no longer being attended to since the medical consultants went on strike. Patients have been dying as a result of the lack of attention they experience. I am sure the hospital will soon become a ghost yard if the situation remains the same,” he said.
Our correspondent learnt at the hospital that junior doctors and nurses were surprised by the consultants’ action as they were not notified earlier.
Some of the health workers argued that if they had been notified of the strike, they could have stopped further admission of patients to prevent needless deaths in the hospital.
Some of the senior nurses, who spoke under condition of anonymity, also said there were moves by the management to stop further admission of patients with serious cases since there were no consultants to handle such cases.
When con tacted via a text message, secretary of the MEDICAN, Dr. Ngim Ogbu Ngim, responded that, “In line with the house decision during the last meeting, the 21-day ultimatum given to the management has expired today. All members are hereby instructed to proceed on an indefinite industrial action from March 26, until the management pays our February salary in full.
“Please note that no consultant should offer clinical service and resident doctors/house officers are not to treat patients without consultants’ coverage for medico-legal reasons. However, only didactic lectures for the medical students should continue since we don’t have dispute with UNICAL.”
Reacting, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Thomas Agan, said the consultants were crucial to the hospital because patients depend on their services.
Agan said, “We appreciate that they are the ones that lay the golden egg. But I plead that they lay good foundation for the students and prevent deaths in the hospital. We shall be glad to offer any assistance.
“We beg the members of MEDICAN to please return to work as the management is making plans for the release of their outstanding allowances.”
The CMD also appealed to the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant General’s office and budgetary office to expedite action on the release of their full salaries and shortfalls.
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