Private medics cushion public doctors' strike in Lagos

Private Doctors say they will offer free services to residents. Photo: IFEDAYO ADEBAYO

In order to cushion the effect of the ongoing doctors' strike in Lagos public hospitals, the Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria has promised to provide free medical services to residents during the strike.

Condemning the action by the Medical Guild, Oluwadamilore Falomo, the association's grand patron, at a press briefing over the weekend, urged members of the association "to rise up to the occasion as they have done in the past and render free services to Lagosians so that the people do not suffer untold hardship during the strike."

Condemning the strike

The association said they had provided stands in the past where its members could attend to out-patients free-of-charge, during periods when public hospitals are shut down as a result of doctors' strike. The private medical practitioners also described the doctor's strike as capable of destroying the state's health system and urged the striking doctors to seek alternative measures to pressing home their demands.

"We consider this strike action as one too many and we condemn it out rightly," said Mr Falomo. "There are other ways the doctors can use to get the attention of the government without resolving to strike which have cause untold hardship to the poor people in the state. This is not what doctors are called to do, they are to be responsible and the oath we took do not permit us to be irresponsible."

Defending the strike

The medical guild commenced an indefinite strike "with immediate effect" after its congress last Friday. Defending the decision which received an overwhelming support of over 80 percent vote from the congress, Ayobode Williams, the Chairman of the union, blamed the state government for failing to implement the agreements it reached with the doctors. He said the doctors had suspended its 14 week-old strike, last year because of an agreement reached with the state government, which includes the payment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale by January 2011, and the reinstatement of their former chairman, Ibrahim Olaifa, who was dismissed over union related issues.

"It is sad for us to know that even as we speak, not any of the agreements has been implemented," he said, appealing to Lagos residents to bear with them, and urging the state government to honour its agreement with them. "For me, there is no need for any negotiations because we have negotiated, we've agreed; all we are waiting for is the full implementation as agreed upon." The leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association had last year directed its members in states yet to implement the new wage to down tools.

It could get worse

Johnson Emene, the medical association's First Vice Chairman, said the association could be forced to pull out doctors from federal health institutions in the state if the situation is not resolved "within the next few days." Federal health institutions which could be affected should association force its affiliate bodies to join on a solidarity strike include the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi; Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba; and the Federal Medical Centre, Ebutte-Metta.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris, described the doctors' strike as "unnecessary and premeditated", and assured that palliative measures would be put in place to lessen the impact on residents. "The budget has just been passed two weeks ago, we've been dialoguing with them, and just out of the blues, they came up with this strike," he said. "Even if there are issues, the proper thing is to come back and present their own case. But we can't afford to shut down our hospitals, so the next thing is to find doctors so that the residents don't suffer.