Just in: pregnant woman dies waiting for operation in Nasarawa as NMA begins strike …as exodus of patients hits the 19 general hospitals in Nasarawa

By David Okpashi

A middle aged woman has allegedly loss her life in Nasarawa State following a 5day warning strike embarked on by the resident doctors at the state government owned Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia.

The Nasarawa State Council of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Wednesday begun a five day warning strike after the expiration of the three weeks ultimatum issued to Gov.

The pregnant woman whose name was not immediately obtained when our correspondent visited the hospital was said to have been scheduled for cesarean operation on Wednesday when she was abandoned as a result of the strike action.

It would be recalled that the resident doctors had on June 13 issued a three weeks ultimatum demanding the state government to address the welfare issues concerning their members.

Relatives, friends have commenced evacuation of their loved ones following the indefinite strike by the resident doctors in the state.

Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr. Peter Attah, said while speaking with Journalists in Lafia, the decision to embark on the strike was taken at an emergency meeting of the association on Tuesday in Lafia.

According to the Chairman, the strike was provoked having met with the delegation of the government led by the Deputy Governor,. Dr Emmanuel Akabe twice with out serious commitment from the government.

“We met twice after our ultimatum on June 13, but unfortunately the government is only paying lip service without showing serious concern over our demands,” he said.

“After discovering that the state government was not ready and prepared to address our demands, the congress unanimously agreed to withdraw its services in all the 19 state government facilities from 8:00am Wednesday, July 5 to 8:00am Monday, July 10.

“If by Monday July 10th government remain adamant over our demands, we will call for congress and decide on the next line of action, Dr. Attah added.

“We have decided to allow our colleagues with the Federal Medical center to stay and attend to patients because the association has the interest of the health sector at heart”,NMA Chairman stated.

“But if the government refused to resolve the lingering issues by Monday, we may be force to ask our colleagues in FMC and private facilities to join the strike.

“We have given the state government enough time to dialogue and address our demands but the government has been insensitive to their plight. 88 Medical Doctors have left the services of the state in 2023 alone due to poor welfare package” Chairman stated.

He listed some of their demands to includes; non-implementation of promotions for Doctors and Annual Salary increment for over nine years, non-implementation of N30, 000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

Others are; non-implementation of the reviewed Hazard allowance circular and the accrued 19 Months arrears, High burden of Taxation and inadequate manpower and overwork load.

He said 25 doctors who were employed in 2014 at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia and the Hospital Management Board were not promoted for nine years now.

He explained that the shortage of doctors is putting so much pressure on the few once that have decided to stay, to the extend that doctors now preferred to work in rural areas than facilities in town.

He explained that the 19 General Hospital in the state have only 33 Doctors which is grossly inadequate by any standard