The Lagos State doctors, working in government owned hospitals commenced a three-day warning stike today, Monday, July 28.
The Medical Guild, an association of doctors employed by the Lagos State Government, declared the three-day warning strike on July 26.
Metrobusinessnews.com (MBN) gathered that the action was as a result of the state government’s unilateral deductions in their July salary.
A visit to Gbagada General Hospital in the morning saw patients waiting invain as the doctors were no where to be found.
MODP and SODP, where some patients who had come for their scheduled surgery date, were disappointed as the entrance door was firmly locked.
At the emergency entrance, a tricycle was packed with a corpse inside it with the wife and other relations crying.
According to one of the hospital staff, who advised one of the patients to go back and expect another appointment date, he was not sure whether the man was brought in dead or died on the way.
“If he had died in the the hospital ward, they would have expected them to obtain death certificate, but since the gate was closed, they will have to take their corpse back home for burial or look for certificate if the corpse is leaving Lagos for burial outside Lagos state.”
The staff also told MBN that the deductions were not restricted to only doctors, but other medical staff. “We were also affected but because we do not have a strong union, we cannot fight for our rights, ” he said
However, the State Government has appealed to medical doctors to call off the strike, that negotiations and engagements with the Medical Guild are ongoing.
This is contained in a statement issued by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director, Public Affairs in the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The government assured that all grievances of the doctors were being looked into with utmost sincerity and urgency.
The state government acknowledged the concerns raised by the leadership of the guild, emphasising that the government was particularly concerned over the welfare, motivation, and productivity of all healthcare workers in the state.
“A conciliation committee comprising representatives from both the Medical Guild and the Government was previously constituted to resolve all outstanding issues.
“Meetings have been held, and documents submitted by the guild are being carefully reviewed in line with existing policies and fiscal regulations.
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“As a responsible government, we value the critical role our healthcare professionals play in delivering quality and timely health services to the over 20 million residents of Lagos State.
“We urge the medical guild to continue on the path of dialogue while we work to reach a peaceful and just resolution in the interest of all parties, especially the residents who may bear the brunt of any service disruption,” the government said.
The guild’s chairman, Dr Japhet Olugbogi, had said at a news conference that the strike action followed series of failed attempts to address the matter through dialogue
Acoording to him, this was not the first time government was embarking on such deductions, that, it happened in the previous month, adding that athough the deductions were later reversed following what he described as “spirited intervention and strategic engagement,” the situation relapsed in July with a fresh round of deductions, ‘’this time without prior notice or explanation.’’
The doctors listed key demands, including the immediate reversal of the July deductions and the full payment of the 12-month revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) arrears owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).