Pregnant Woman Dies As Nasarawa Doctors’ Strike Persists
By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Following a five-day warning strike embarked upon by the resident doctors of the Adamawa state government-owned Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia, a middle-aged woman lost her life on Wednesday, 5 July 2023 as no doctor was around to attend to her, Daily Trust reports.
The pregnant woman, whose identity is unknown as at the time of filing this report when the reporter of the news medium visited Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, Lafia (DASH), around 3:30pm on Wednesday, 5 July, 2023, was said to have been booked for a caesarean section on Tuesday, 4 July, 2023.
But the operation could not hold due to the five-day warning strike and she
died while waiting for doctors to attend to her.
Our correspondent observed that patients with critical conditions were being evacuated to private facilities in the state and nearby states for continuation of medical attention.
Narrating the predicament of his late wife, a visibly worried Malam Abubakar Liman whose pregnant wife had just died while waiting for the arrival of doctors to carry out a caesarean section said they decided to stay back due to their inability to afford the medical bill at the private hospitals.
He said he had accepted the deaths of his wife and unborn child as an act of God but appealed to the state government to urgently meet the demands of the doctors in the interest of the less privileged.
The officials of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) led by the state Chairman, Dr Attah Peter were seen going round all sections of the hospital to ensure full compliance to the strike.
The warning strike, which commenced at 8 am on Wednesday, July 5, and expected to end on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 8 am has paralysed medical services in all the 19 general hospitals, including Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia owned by Nasarawa State government.
Recall that the resident doctors had on June 13 issued a three-week ultimatum, asking the state government to look into the welfare issues concerning their members.
Addressing newsmen in Lafia, the state capital on Wednesday, Dr Peter Attah the NMA Chairman, explained that the association resolved to embark on the five-day warning strike owing to the state government’s inability to meet up their demands.
According to him, the doctors and other medical workers across the state were suffering as a result of poor welfare packages from the state government.
Reacting to the unfortunate death in a telephone interview, the NMA chairman expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased, saying “For us, we sincerely sympathise with the deceased’s family over the irreparable loss.
“Our lives are also at risk at the same time as a result of work hazard.”
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State government has called on the state medical doctors to call off the ongoing five-day warning strike in the interest of the patients.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe made the call in an interview with journalists while reacting to industrial action embarked upon by the doctors on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.
He explained that the delegation of the state government led by himself had agreed on principle to address all the demands of the doctors except two issues during the negotiation meeting they had.
He said the only two issues still left was the proposal that their call duty allowances should not be taxed and payment of consequential adjustment for the new minimum wage.
Dr Akabe further said that the government was open for negotiation with the doctors and promised that they would do everything possible to resolve the issues in the interest of the patients.
