NMA Threatens To Withdraw Services After 21 Days Ultimatum
by Chris Nyamtu
Medical Services have been disrupted in all hospitals owned Nasarawa State Government following a five days warning strike declared by the Nigerian Medical Association
Due to the strike, a pregnant woman who was booked by the hospital for a caesarean session died while waiting for doctors to attend to her.
Medical doctors in all the 19 General Hospitals including Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia owned by Nasarawa State Government have made good their threat to withdraw their services after a 21-day ultimatum given by the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association for the state government to address their demands.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association Dr. Attah Peter said the issues in contention that necessitated the strike include failure of the state government to implement doctors’ promotion and annual increments, non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage and non-payment of hazard allowances.
He stated that they resorted to strike as their last option following the state government’ s failure to make commitment towards meeting up their demands up to the expiration of the 21 days ultimatum the association issued on the 13 June 2023.
Dr. Attah Peter stated that the doctors would continue with the strike indefinitely including their colleagues from Federal Medical Centre Keffi if the state government fails to address their needs before the end of the five days warning strike.
When Radio Nigeria visited the Nasarawa State Government owned Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, patients especially those in critical conditions were seen being evacuated to private facilities and nearby states for continuation of medical attention.
In an interview, a visibly worried Mallam Abubakar Liman whose pregnant wife had just died while waiting for the arrival of doctors to carry out ceaserean session on her, said they decided to stay back due to their inability to afford the medical bill at the private hospitals.
Mallam Liman who said he had accepted the deaths of his wife and unborn child as act of God, appealed to the state government to urgently meet the demands of the doctors in the interest of the less privileged.
At the time of filing this report, officials of the Nigerian Medical Association led by the state Chairman Dr. Attah Peter were seen going round all sections of the hospitals to ensure full compliance to the strike.
