Hospitals shut nationwide as Nigerian health workers begin strike


Following the expiration of the 15-day ultimatum issued by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) for the federal government to address the various injustices in the Nigerian health sector, all cadres of health professionals except physicians today (Wednesday) began a 3-day warning strike to press home demand.


In an exclusive interview with HealthNewsNG.com, Adeyeye Adetunji Tam, Chairman of the JOHESU at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun state said the Nigerian government is insincere and has failed to keep the promises it made with the health workers.

Tam said the government failed to deliver its promise "to promote members from 14 to 15 being director position, failure to issue a circular on entry point for interns medical laboratory scientists and post-NYSC medical laboratory scientists; it also failed to comply with the judgment of the National Industrial Court (NIC) on consultancy and specialist allowance of deserved members.

Others are: "Failure to issue a letter of withdrawal for the illegal post of deputy chairman of the medical advisory committee (DCMAC). Even when they eventually issued the letter of withdrawal, it was retrieved within 48 hours," he said.

"Failure to adhere to the skipping of CONHESS 10 as addressed and directed by the NIC judges.They have also failed to adjust retirement age from 60 to 65 years."

The strike which would be on till Friday could become indefinite if the government fails to address the issues raised by the health workers.

"The modality is to go on 3 days warning strike to press home our demands and to let them know we are not joking about it.  It will end on Friday. But if nothing happens afterwards, we will have no choice than to proceed on indefinite strike," Tam said.

Members of the union include nurses and midwives, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and several others.

Situation reports gathered by HealthNewsNG.com from major health facilities across the nation revealed that the level of compliance is high. 

In Osun state, members of the union working at the federal government-owned Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) are complying with the strike directive. At the state-owned general hospital and Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, the workers fully complied with the directive on the first day of the strike action.

At the premier teaching hospital in Nigeria, the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Prof. Temitope Alonge attempted to keep the hospital's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) laboratory open, an action that was strongly resisted by members of JOHESU in the hospital.

At the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Abeokuta, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, all healthcare workers except physicians were on strike on the first day of the 3-day warning strike.

The situation was however different at the Federal Medical Center in Umuahia, Abia state as doctors took over the blood bank.

Speaking on the success of the first day of the strike, Tam said it has to do with the realisation of the injustice in the healthcare sector that is affecting 90% of the sector's workforce.

"We are ready to fight to the very end, even if it means shedding our last blood. That is just the beginning," he told HealthNewsNG.com.

On the impact the strike of the strike on healthcare and medical education in Nigeria, a medical expert who spoke to HealthNewsNG.com on condition of anonymity said it would affect patient admission, drug administration, diagnoses, and other essential aspects of patient care.

"There will be no admissions and no investigations. Nurses are the ones that feed and administer drugs. There will be no investigations and patients may have to go to private facilities for diagnostic tests.

"It would affect several divisions including surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology. Hospitals will not be able to admit patients with cases that are classified as high risk," the expert told HealthNewsNG.com.

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