Strike: Resident doctors render services to patients in Kogi

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, has continued to render normal services to patients in the state in spite of the ongoing national strike by doctors.
Findings showed that normal activities were going on at the FMC and Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja.
Doctors and nurses reportedly were seen active on their duty posts attending to patients in their large numbers without any hindrance.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), FMC Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, said that services were ongoing across the hospital including surgeries and laboratories services.
“Generally, we have minimal strike here because the majority of what the national body of NARD are agitating for have almost been implemented at FMC Lokoja.
“So, the management has to make sure that services are rendered to our patients including surgeries. For now, we have been attending to patients as usual,” Alabi said.
He added that the hospital always engaged enough NYSC members than any other hospital across the nation, saying there were currently 110 corps members to provide services to patients.
The situation was also the same at the KSSH, Lokoja, as normal activities were going on smoothly with doctors attending to patients steadily.
Dr Jafar Abdulrahman, Chairman, NARD, KSSH, also told newsmen that members of the association in the state did not join the strike due to the existing ultimatum given to Kogi Government on the same issues that triggered the national strike.
However, “the ultimatum will expire by the end of this month, that is why we did not join the ongoing national strike,” Abdulrahaman said.
A patient at the FMC, Mrs Bimbo Olalekan, commended the doctors in Kogi for not joining the strike.
“My two-year-old daughter was having a high temperature and I have to rush her down to the hospital and she was immediately attended to by the doctor on duty. I am grateful to God and to the physicians,” Olalekan said.
It was learned that NARD embarked on the nationwide industrial action to press home six demands, including payment of their salary shortfalls spanning from December 2016 till date.
Other demands are payment of House Officers full salaries, placement of members on their appropriate Grade Levels, stop stagnation of promotion and capture of members on Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS).
NARD are also on strike to seek for improved infrastructure and equipment in public health facilities.