Strike: Doctors perform health workers’ duties at NECC, others
Doctors in Kaduna State have been performing the duties of health workers to lessen the effect of the strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Daily Trust investigation has revealed.
At the Gwamna Awan General Hospital in Kakuri, our reporter observed the presence of over six doctors attending to patients, taking records and managing emergency cases, among others.
One of the patients, who gave her name as Mrs. Mary, commended the doctors. “I do not know what would have happened to my daughter if there was nobody to attend to her when we rushed her to the hospital. As soon as we got to the hospital, the doctors attended to her and was even kept under their watch for some hours until she became stable,” she said.
Also, at the National Ear Care Centre (NECC) in Kaduna, patients have not stopped patronizing the facility in spite of the ongoing strike.
Daily Trust observed that doctors attend to patients at the General Outpatient Department of the NECC as well as the accident and emergency unit.
Malam Inusa, who took his son to the facility, commended the doctors for the prompt medical attention he received.
According to the head of GOPD and Accident and Emergency Department, Dr. Abubakar Nasir, an average of 50 patients was being seen daily.
“We have been attending to emergency cases, carrying out surgeries and when the need arise, we admit and manage patients on emergency,” he said.
The medical director of the hospital, Dr. Umaru Grema commended the doctors for their services.
The state chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Shehu Abdurrhaman had in a recent statement mentioned that doctors in public hospitals have had to go extra mile to cover for the absence of the allied health professionals. He noted that doctors admit, nurse and give medications in the special care baby unit of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Zaria.