The Chairman, Lagos State Medical Advisory Committee (MAC)?? to the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ore Falomo,? has condemned Lagos state doctors? for declaring an indefinite strike in spite of ongoing negotiations with the state government.
Falomo who spoke at a press conference organised by the committee in Lagos on? Friday?? accused? the striking doctors of using strike as a perennial tool to express their dissatisfaction and making demands for their welfare at the expense of the lives of the patients.
?He said the striking doctors have violated the Hippocratic Oath that guides the medical profession which states that a doctor must avoid the death of patients irrespective of their grievances or socio-economic status and also finish every medical procedure they have started on any patient.
?Falomo disclosed that? in? order?? to return normalcy in the Lagos health sector,? and??? prevent?? further? deaths?? of?? patients?? in? Lagos?? state? hospitals ,? the?? state?? government was currently recruiting new sets of medical doctors to replace those on incessant strike action.
“We are not justifying strike or no strike but this a noble profession that has to do with lives and this is why we are saying that there are better ways to achieve their aims and objectives instead of embarking on strike at the slightest opportunity.
“Nobody? can?? ever?? pay doctors??? enough , so? they?? should? while? collecting?? their? present? salaries??? learn? how?? to? negotiate?? properly???? and????? avoid?? strike???? actions??? at??? all??? cost,??? they should change their methology?? of? action,? strikes??? only?? serve? in? killing?? our patients,??? all?? over?? the? world,?? doctors?? lobby? and?? dialogue,?? they? did? not? go on? strike?? at? every? slightest?? opportunity.”
MAC called on??? the?? consultant’s?? specialists on ground to take care of emergency surgical procedures and services as well for NYSC medical doctors to be assigned to emergency services.
The body also advised that henceforth, there should be an undertaken by House Officers and Resident doctors not to engage in strike actions.
“We believe Medical Doctors should be guided by the Hippocratic Oaths sworn to and exhaust all possible avenues for negotiation and lobbying without paralyzing healthcare services in entirety.
Also? speaking? at? the? press conference,? a? member? of? MAC,? Dr? Tosin? Ajayi,? a? doctor? of? over?? 20? years? practice? and? the? the? C.E.O? of? First? Foundation?? Medical??? Co. Ltd.? ,?? blamed?? the? striking? doctors?? for? going? on? strike?? saying , “ Its? only? here? in? Nigeria?? that? doctors? who are? meant? to? save? lives?? go? on? strike? at? every? slightest?? opportunity.? We? at? MAC? are? the? elders? in? this? Medical Profession? and?? we can no? longer?? tolerate this? because?? this? incessant? strikes? is? affecting the?? helpless? populace?? who? cannot? afford? the? high? medical? cost? of treatment? in? private? hospitals.? How can doctors?? feel? so relaxed? and carefree?? when? lives? are? being? lost? daily? Enough of all? these? rubbish,? this? doctors strike? is one? too? many? “ he? lamented.
We are appealing? to? all? the? striking doctors? to? please? go? back? to work?? and?? save? life’s? while?? the? negotiations?? will? continue? on? the?? negotiating? table.
“We? urge? all? the? doctors? to? please?? stop? further? deaths?? and? suffering? of?? patients? and?? go? back to? work? immediately?? ,? but?? their failure? to? do so,? we?? are? not? going to watch? patients?? die? as?? Lagos? State? has? made adequate? arrangements?? to? recruit new? doctors? to replace? them’ Ajayi? pointed? out.
“ We? want? you? to? realize? that? the? piper? dictates? the? tune? and? so? if the? condition? of? civil? service in? Lagos? state? ?is??? no??? longer? satisfactory? to? you? at? this? time, we? advise you?? to? exit?? honorably? instead? of? creating? and? perpetuating? a? state? of? anarchy”? he? stated.??
“MAC? sees?? your? present?? strike?? as? uncalled?? for and? flagrant? abuse?? of? your? professional? duty? and? calling,? so please? we? seize? this? opportunity? to? ask? to? sheath? your? sword? and? create? a?? proper? dialogue? with? the?? appropriate? authority”? Ajayi? stated.
Meanwhile,? the?? tragic?? effects??? of??? the?? indefinite??? strike? called??? by Lagos doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild??? since?? April??? 2oth?? took?? its??? toll??? on?? all??? healthcare institutions in the state,? over?? the?? weekend as several cases of deaths were allegedly recorded following paralysis of medical and clinical services even as patronage from patients dipped significantly.?
From the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja,?? to? General? Hospitals?? Isolo,?? and? Orile Agege? among others, patients were left unattended.???? At the LASUTH,? armed policemen,? numbering six, arrived in a black pick-up van and strategically took up position within the immediate vicinity of the medical emergency ward of the health?? institution?? when??? LEADERSHIP? arrived?? the? hospital??? at?? about?? 9 a.m.?? on Friday??
Although they did not in any way interfere with on-going activities, their presence caused some concerns to visitors and by-standers.
Findings by? LEADERSHIP? who were at the facility, revealed that the medical emergency ward was almost deserted, except for two corpses inside. The corpses which were later moved to the mortuary on the premises, were confirmed? to be those of two patients on admission who allegedly died for lack of care.
A hospital source revealed that one of the patients, a man, died on Tuesday night while the second one?? died??? Friday??? morning.
The source, which pleaded anonymity, hinted that the patients were in critical condition and required intensive care which could not be rendered when the doctors abandoned their duties as a result of the strike.??
“This is the kind of development we witness when there is strike. The same scenario is going on in other hospitals owned by the state. It is a pity many more patients are going to die. Unfortunately, these deaths will not be reported. This is the reality of strike.”