BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU/IFEANYI UWAGWU/PERCY IDUBOR/OGORAMAKA AMOS
Following the industrial action by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) across the country, healthcare services in major health facilities in Delta State capital, Asaba, and environs appeared to have suffered heavy disruptions as the strike entered its second day.
Also at other government hospitals visited by our correspondents in Delta, Edo, and Rivers States, patients were turned back and referred to private hospitals, though it was noticed that skeletal services were going on.
Unfortunatley at some of the private hospitals, particularly at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Asaba, some patients were turned back due to lack of space as patients thronged the facility seeking medical services, while only those in the neo-natal wards, as The Pointer gathered were being attended to.
However, at the Asaba Specialist Hospital (ASH) healthcare services were being rendered at a skeletal level.
According to the Chairman, Resident Doctors Association at ASH, Dr. Samuel Okowa, the association was observing the strike, but not at the detriment of emergency care patients, saying that medical doctors had volunteered to render services in critical departments.
“The strike is a national issue and we as a body we have to comply, but if we have a patient with gunshot wounds, we would still treat them because they are not the cause of our problems” he said.
Dr Okowa also mentioned that since the strike began the hospital has seen a surge in the number of patients trying to access emergency care and owing to the presence of the doctors who volunteered to work; a lot of lives would have been lost. While stating that the strike is an indefinite one, he mentioned that their skeletal activities would go on temporarily, partly due to the fact that the state government had always supported them and are hoping that the state would also look into the centre’s demands. At the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Asaba, a medical doctor at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit of the hospital, disclosed that the unit was only providing initial emergency care to patients before referring them to other hospitals due to the absence of specialist doctors on duty.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s attitude in handling doctors’ welfare and demands, while urging authorities to take decisive action to ensure fair treatment and improved working conditions for medical personnel.
During the monitoring visit, our reporter observed that some patients remained in their wards, being attended to solely by nurses in the absence of doctors.
In Edo State, it was a similar situation as healthcare services were not stable. The Pointer gathered that while there was full access to healthcare at the Edo Specialist Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City, it was not available at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and Irrua Specialist Hospital because they were part of the national association.
A source at UBTH, however, acknowledged the importance of resident doctors, but said nothing much has changed as consultants and nurses were working.
“We have over 400 patients on admission right now. We have in patients, those in special care. We are running. Although the resident doctors are very important to us”.
The Pointer, however, gathered that emergency activities were grounded for now. A medical practitioner at a private hospital said, “We are overwhelmed by the influx of patients who were supposed to access tertiary health care from government owned hospitals, like UBTH.
“Truth be told, most of the private hospitals are not fully capacitated to handle some cases. If some patients are handled in a private hospital without these facilities, it can lead to early mortality. Apart from facilities not been available, there is not enough skilled manpower to handle special cases. So mortality is inevitable” he said.
Similar situation was observed in Rivers State. The strike, which began nationwide, has hit Port Harcourt’s healthcare system particularly hard, with federal hospital emergency wards, and operating theatres referring patients to state owned hospitals. At the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) the emergency units and outpatient clinics were shut, and elective surgeries were being referred to Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH)
“I came here for my mother’s surgery, but they told us to go home because doctors are not working, We were referred to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) for the surgery with the crowd of patients we will have to wait and private hospitals are too expensive, ” lamented Mrs. Gladys Okonkwo. Similarly, at RSUTH, corridors were filled with patients and Nurses confirmed that most cases were referred from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and they were being handled.
Nurse Courage Ogwutum, who works at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, spoke to our correspondent, saying that: “There has been over flooding of patients, from the day the strike was declared most patients were referred to our hospital and yes doctors are attending to the patients although we are a bit overwhelmed “
A nurse who works at the Primary Health Center (names withheld) in Port Harcourt says” We are working all State health centres and hospitals are working although there is an out pour of patients, Doctors are on duty”
Mr Johnson Okeke, whose wife was to be admitted at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) told our correspondent “ We were given a referral letter that we should go to another hospital and it wasn’t just me other patients too”
