Adeoyo State Hospital in Ibadan has discharged most of its in-patients following the nationwide warning strike declared by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), which commenced on Wednesday.
The strike, which is expected to last seven days, was called in protest of the Federal Government’s failure to address long-standing demands by the union. These include an upward review of shift and uniform allowances, implementation of a separate salary structure for nurses, improved core duty allowances, mass recruitment of nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health.
A visit to Adeoyo Hospital by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that several wards were empty, with patients discharged earlier than scheduled. Only a handful of critically ill patients remained, though they were reportedly left without nursing care.
Mr. Adegoke Rahman, whose mother recently underwent leg surgery, expressed concern over her condition. “She can’t walk or even stand. It’s only the doctors attending to her now. There are no nurses around,” he said.
Another patient, Mr. Samuel Biyi, who visited the hospital to treat a leg wound, said he was not attended to. “The pain is getting worse, but there’s no one to help,” he lamented.
A doctor on duty, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that while doctors and some other health workers remain on duty, the hospital has stopped admitting new patients due to the ongoing strike. He noted that patients with serious conditions are being referred to private healthcare facilities for proper management.
“All patients on admission were asked to go home since Tuesday because of the strike. We are only managing outpatient cases where possible,” he explained.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Oyo State Secretary of NANNM, Comrade Emmanuel Aina, affirmed the state chapter’s compliance with the national directive. He stated that the decision was a product of an emergency meeting by the union’s National Executive Council, following which the strike notice was issued from the association’s national headquarters.
Healthcare services across the country have been significantly impacted by the strike, with many public hospitals operating at limited capacity.
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