The current strike by some medical workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, has grounded activities at the hospital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some categories of health workers in the hospital went on strike last week to protest non-payment of their two months’ salary.
Checks at the hospital on Tuesday showed that most of the wards were locked while others had few patients.
Some of the union officials barricaded the entrance to the hospital, thereby compelling patients and visitors to use the exit gate.
However, skeletal services were available at the Accident and Emergency Unit and the National Health Insurance Clinic.
Following the closure of the records section of the hospital, the doctors resorted to the use of exercise books as temporary folders.
Mr Bernard Akpedi, the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, who spoke to NAN,described the strike as regrettable and unfortunate.
Akpedi said that the workers embarked on strike because they were owed two months’ salary arrears.
He said that the hospital management was making efforts to pay them, adding “as we speak, one month has been paid, while we anticipate the payment of the remaining this week.”
“The management had appealed to the workers to consider the plight of our patients during our meeting before the strike, assuring them that we were about to pay one month.
“But at the joint congress of the unions, they unanimously agreed to go on strike, but we have continued to appeal to them to return to work.”
