Strike: Osun hospitals deserted

Strike: Osun hospitals deserted

General hospitals in Osun State have turned to  ghost towns following the strike embarked upon by doctors in government hospitals across the state.
Our correspondent, who visited the State Hospital, Asubiaro in Osogbo the state capital discovered that there were just two patients left in the hospital which is the headquarters of all state hospitals in the state.

The two patients were at the Maternity Ward and one of them was in labour while the other one was just delivered of her baby.
The doctors’ strike has also affected other health workers in the hospitals as nurses, pharmacies, physiotherapists and other had been idle since the strike commenced.
The Psychiatric Ward, the Accidents and Emmergency Ward, Pharmacy, Male and Female Medical Wards were deserted with no single patient when our correspondent went round the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the nurses, who spoke to our corespondent at Asubiaro on Tuesday said there was little they could do if doctors were not around.
One of the nurses, who spoke to our correspondent outside the hospital said the strike embarked upon by the doctors had led to an increase in maternal mortality rate as well as infant mortality rate.
The nurse, who pleaded not to be named said she might not have a statistics to support her assertion but she was aware of some persons  who lost their lives because they could not afford the the bills at private hospitals which are considered to be on the high side.
The nurse said there had been upsurge in the number of persons seeking treatments from quacks and those  who had resorted to self medications  due to the prolonged strike.
The Chairman of the Osun State  Association of Medical and Dental Officers, Mr. Isiaka Adekunle, when contacted said the doctors knew that strike in the Heath sector always led to the increase in death rate but said the doctors had shifted ground and were ready to receive half salaries provided the governor signed a document to state when the balance of their salaries would be paid.
He said, “This strike is an unfortunate one but it is not our fault. We want the people of the state to appeal to the governor. We are not asking for anything other than our salaries.
“The government has been paying half salaries and we want them to give  us an assurance that we will be paid the balance. Is this difficult? Let him come out and tell everybody that the salaries have been cut by half. We want a commitment from him to state that we are being owed half salaries and that we would be paid.
“This strike will  not be suspended unless the governor accedes  to our legitimate  demands. This is no too much.”
It will be recalled that the doctors under the aegis of OSAMDO and the Association of Resident Doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo had on September 28 embarked on the  current  strike as a result of payment of half salaries.
Other categories of workers suspended their strike after reaching an agreement with the state government on the payment of half salaries but the doctors said they were not invited for negotiation and that the agreement of the Nigeria Labour Congress was not binding on them.