Health services are gradually being restored in Lagos State hospitals as some 373 newly-recruited doctors have started assuming duty.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited some hospitals in the state on Thursday confirmed that some of the doctors were attending to a few patients who had turned up for treatment.
NAN recalls that the new doctors were recruited on May 7 following the dismissal of 788 doctors by the government due to their refusal to answer queries issued to them for embarking on a strike without following due process.?
The new doctors assumed duty after two weeks of paralysed medical services caused by the commencement of the doctors’ strike on April 24.
At the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), NAN found that some wards, which were previously locked had been opened although there was a low turnout of patients.
One of the new doctors, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the low turnout was because most patients were not aware that the doctors had resumed work.
“Because we are few, our impact has yet to be felt in the hospitals and most Lagosians are still not aware that we have resumed.
“We are hoping that by next week, things will pick up,” he said.
At the Isolo General Hospital, there were a few doctors attending to the available patients.
Mrs Cecilia Nwachukwu, who brought her child for treatment at the hospital, told NAN that they were quickly attended to as there were only a few patients.
?She said it took less than an hour for consultation with the doctor and getting drugs at the pharmacy which was not the case before.
“It took less than an hour to see the doctor and we have also bought medicine that was prescribed by the doctor.
“This was not the case before when we had to wait for hours before seeing the doctor,” she said.
NAN also found that two new doctors assumed duty at the Randle General Hospital, Surulere.
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