The nationwide strike embarked upon by resident doctors has
paralysed activities at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH)
in Shika and Tudun-Wada, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A
NAN correspondent who visited the hospitals on Wednesday reports that the
facilities were virtually empty, while new patients with various ailments are
being turned back.
However,
patients already on admission and those in critical conditions are still being
attended to by consultants and House Officers.
Relations
of some of the patients who were turned back said the situation was unfortunate
and regrettable.
One
of them, Malam Musa Ahmed, who took his sister to ABUTH in Tudun-Wada, said he
was highly disturbed by the development.
“I
was highly disturbed on reaching here only to discover that doctors are on
strike and nobody to attend to us.
“My sister was down with feverish conditions and needs medical
attention, we have no option now than to seek an alternative means for possible
cure,” he said.
Ahmed
appealed to the doctors and Federal Government to go back to negotiating table
for dialogue.
Also,
Malam Ibrahim Mohammed told NAN that he had no alternative than to his brother
to a private clinic for quick medical attention.
He
appealed to the doctors not to prioritise money at the expense of human health,
“instead they should be mindful of the fact that human life is greater than
monetary demands.”
When
contacted, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Lawal Khalid said
the management had made arrangement for Consultants and House Officers to
provide skeletal services to cushion the effect of the strike.
“Our
accident and emergency unit is functional to take care of emergency cases and
some consultants and house officers are also engaged in the provision of
skeletal services to our patients.
“Even
today our clinic had provided services and it will continue, because we will
not allow things to be completely paralysed,” he assured.
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Nigerian Guardian