The Peoples Democratic Party in the South West has described the decision of the Lagos State Government to punish doctors in its service, who participated in the three-day warning strike recently, as dictatorial, insensitive, inhuman and evil.
The PDP said no responsible government will allow doctors in its service to be going on strike all the time, not minding its effects on the masses.
The PDP said in a statement issued by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, that it was anti-people for a democratically elected government to have queried doctors for taking part in a strike.
The party said the indefinite strike action embarked on by the Medical Guild was justified.
The statement added: “We wish to sympatise with residents of Lagos State over the incessant strike action of doctors in the state service and pray that God in His infinite mercies will touch the heart of the Action Congress of Nigeria government in the state such that it will begin to act in accordance with the interests of the masses.
“The strike action, which could have been avoided, shows the state government’s insensitivity to the plights of its workers and residents of the state, who are already grappling with the non-availability of enough government-owned hospitals in the state.
“For instance, it is a fact that less than 10 per cent of residents of Lagos State visit government-owned medical institutions because they are not adequate. The remaining over 90 per cent patronise private hospitals or herbal homes.
“It is therefore disheartening that instead of deploying its huge resources into provision of more medical institutions, Lagos State Government is either paying armed police to harrass doctors who are agitating for an improved welfare package or lavishing billions of naira on false birthday of its ‘governor emeritus’.
“It is therefore our plea that the ACN government in Lagos State should honour the agreements reached with the doctors in 2011 so as to save our people from avoidable deaths that are now being witnessed in the state-owned hospitals.”