Normalcy Yet To Return To Lagos Hospitals

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Normalcy has not returned to Lagos State hospitals, even with the recruitment of new doctors, as hospitals still remain deserted with the absence of patients and the presence of very few doctors.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited some state hospitals on Wednesday observed that there were only a few doctors and patients in the hospitals.

NAN reports that there were few doctors on hand at the emergency departments to attend to critical cases, while a few patients were also seen at the pharmacy buying medication.

The outpatient clinics and the eye centre, which were usually filled with patients seeking medical attention, were practically empty.

The few doctors were seen outside their offices as there were only few patients available to be attended to and some patients were asked to come back next week for treatment.

Miss Abosede Arowolo, a woman who came to see the doctor, said she was told to return next week to be able to see the doctor to attend to her.

“I came to the hospital to complain of severe stomach ache but I was told to come back next week, that there is no doctor to attend to me.”

A nurse, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that though a few doctors were in the hospital, they attended to emergency cases.

“The hospital is currently a shadow of its former self, as there are only few doctors attending to critical cases and there are also only few patients to be attended to.

“The problem is that patients do not know whether they would see doctors or not so they would not want to waste their time.

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“It feels like there are no medical services being offered in the hospital. There are only few people here.”

At the Gbagada General Hospital, no doctor was in sight to attend to the few patients who came to the hospital.

One of the nurses, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said new doctors had yet to begin work at the hospital.

“Patients have not been coming and we have only a few new doctors on hand to attend to anyone who comes.

“They have been idle because there is no one to attend to, all our wards are empty.”

NAN recalls that on May 7, doctors in the Lagos State employment who had been on indefinite strike since April 24 were collectively sacked.

The doctors embarked on strike to demand the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which was signed into law in September 2009.

A statement issued by the Office of the Head of Service explained that the doctors were sacked because of their refusal to reply to queries issued to them to explain their absence from work between April 11 and April 13.

It also said the doctors were absent without leave and without the observance of the rules and regulations guiding strikes and industrial actions in the state public service.

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