Strike cripples hospitals nationwide, state and local government hospitals set to join

The ongoing strike called by members of the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) has crippled activities in federal hospitals nationwide. At the National Hospital in Abuja, activities are on standstill although some nurses are on standby in the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department.

Dr. Tayo Haastrup, Spokesperson of the hospital also revealed that some categories of health workers  are on ground to handle certain situations.

"We have a reasonable number of patients that have not been discharged. Our doctors are working and they are managing them. The foreign doctors, House Officers, NYSC members are at work and interns are working," he said.

The strike had also crippled activities at the ever-busy Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba and the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-metta.

Patients are bemoaning the non-availability of the striking nurses, medical laboratory scientists and others. 

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, services were virtually paralysed as all the health workers apart from doctors and security staffs were on duty. Only skeletal services were being rendered by ad-hoc staff brought in to help the doctors, who were attending to patients on admission.

At the University College Hospital Ibadan, authorities of the premier institution said operations at the hospital would not be totally affected by the strike.

In his latest comment on the ongoing strike, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria's health minister said the striking healthcare professionals are abusing the industrial action since lives of patients are at stake.

On the demands of the union, Chukwu said the matter is presently before a court as the Federal Government had appealed the ruling of Justice Babatunde Adejumo of the National Industrial Court on the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding, signed by government and the workers.

Accusing the minister of insincerity, JOHESU said the minister should held responsible for the aftermath of the strike. The union's representatives said they embarked on the indefinite nationwide strike to protest the  the non-implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding and other contentious issues such as the implementation of CONHESS 10, the National Health Bill and government's failure to appoint health professionals as consultants.

They've also threatened to involve their members at the state and local government levels if the ministry fails to listen to the union.