Some health care professionals who belong to the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria have ascribed the incessant strikes by medical doctors in the employment of the Lagos State Government to over pampering by government to the detriment of other health care professionals.
President of the PSN, Mr. Azubike Okwor, who spoke in Lagos over the weekend at a meeting of the concerned members of the Nigerian health associations in the state with the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said that health care professionals must be fair in their dealings, particularly for the sake of the patients.
According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Jide Lawal, Okwor, who commended the government for its efforts at revamping the health sector, noted that the PSN shares the state government’s vision of ensuring that the welfare of the innocent patients informs any decision taken.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the NANNM, Mrs. Olatunde Olushola, condemned the decision of the doctors to go on strike but urged government to reconsider its decision to sack them, particularly for those that have shown remorse in the interest of the patients as well as the huge resources government has expended on their training and development
Olushola called on the government to ensure equity, balance and fairness in its dealings with all care professionals and treat them equally, especially in matters that concern basic and other allowances as well as welfare packages.
Responding, Idris commended the other health care professionals for remaining committed to their duty and not downing tools like the doctors despite challenges faced and explained that the decision to sack the doctors was not an easy one but was done in the interest of the public to save the health institution.
Idris, while noting that government is not wicked, stated that the striking doctors had no compassion for human lives by choosing to go on strike a day after admitting patients into hospitals, stressing that government owes it a duty to save the health institution.
The commissioner, who described the doctors’ strike as one too many, noted that they have gone on strike four times alone in the last one year and 53 times in the last 10 years.
The state’s Head of Service, Mr. Segun Ogunlewe, who was also at the meeting, described as callous and cruel the decision of the doctors to abandon their patients abruptly and embark on strike without serving government a proper notice, which would have given room for negotiation and probably prevent the strike.
Ogunlewe explained that the state government has done all it could to make the doctors shelve their strike but stated that they were adamant and bent on blackmailing the government.