“It only survives by faith,” Agbenro said. who is supposed to start a second round of chemotherapy at the National Hospital in the capital of Abuja. He says he has not received any treatment since August 2.
“Since the strike began, no doctor has come to see me. It only survives by faith,” Agbenro told CNN.
“We don’t accept patients with serious medical needs,” a National Hospital staff member told CNN. “There are no doctors on the ground, so patients in poor condition are referred to private hospitals,” added the employee, who asked not to be appointed as he is not allowed to speak to the media. of communication.
However, treatment in private hospitals they cost significantly more than those administered by the government and those who cannot afford private health care will suffer more.
Doctors residing in the country’s state hospitals are attacking the “poor state of care” amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections and a move by authorities to prevent industrial action.
Like the doctors’ strike on salary and conditions reaches its third week, patients in need of urgent medical care such as Agbenro have been made available to public hospitals.
At the National Hospital, CNN also met Emmanuel Ejim, who was operated on to repair a broken abdomen shortly before the strikes began, which has not been treated since doctors boycotted the work.
“Doctors no longer care for me. Nurses only consult me whenever they want because there is no one to supervise them,” Ejim told CNN.
The two men said they could not afford the cost of seeking medical attention at a private medical center.
CNN has contacted the National Hospital spokesman to make a comment.
Health care ignored by the ruling class
Many wealthy Nigerians rely on medical services abroad because of the country’s health infrastructure.
The 78-year-old Nigerian leader has made several visits to the UK to receive medical treatment for an undisclosed illness.
His aides say his medical history is better done by British specialists, who have cared for his health for four decades.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), an umbrella body for doctors in Nigeria’s teaching hospitals, said the country’s healthcare sector is ignored because the ruling class pays little attention to it.
“We are not pointing the finger in the right direction. Anyone with malaria in the upper strata can travel abroad for control so that it can be allowed. But most Nigerians cannot afford treatment abroad. “NARD president Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi told CNN.
“Our health sector is ignored because they have ignored it,” Okhuaihesuyi said, adding that Nigeria’s health budgets have been deficient.
“Nigerians die unnecessarily”
He added that doctors are also protesting against the unpaid salaries of about three to six months for some of the NARD members and the lack of insurance benefits to relatives of doctors who died of Covid.
The doctors ’union wants a substantial increase in health workers’ risk allowances, an additional payment that is made to front-line medical staff.
“To date, the risk allowance is 5,000 Naira ($ 12) for all health workers, and it was last revised in 1991,” Okhuaihesuyi said.
Okhuaihesuyi has rejected the proposed increase as “not good enough.”
“Since the beginning of the year, we have lost 19 members (of NARD) against Covid-19. There is supposed to be insurance that covers all health workers, but as it stands, we have no death insurance in the service of the close relatives of our members, “the NARD president added.
The Ministry of Labor and Empowerment did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. CNN also contacted the Nigerian Ministry of Health, but received no response.
The Labor minister has responded to strikes by invoking labor laws against striking doctors and a “No job, no pay” rule has been applied, he said in a recent interview.
Ngige blamed doctors for “not necessarily notifying” the government before industrial action began.
Citing labor laws, the minister stated, “If you are in essential service, you must give mandatory notice before you leave the tools,” adding that attempts at conciliation failed.
The doctors’ union, however, argued that the strike became a last resort after ignoring its ultimatums to the government.
Although he criticized the country’s Labor minister for “preferring” to spend government resources in litigation against the doctors ’union than to meet their demands for better welfare.
Brain drain intensifies
Many Nigerian doctors have long since left the country’s healthcare sector as the brain drain intensifies.
Okhuaihesuyi said poor working conditions had contributed to the mass outflow of Nigerian health workers, who are looking for better paid jobs abroad.
“It’s going to get worse,” said Kingsley Douglas, a Nigerian doctor and public health consultant the exodus of Nigerian doctors.
“Many doctors do three to four jobs just to be able to earn a basic living in Nigeria,” he said.
The doctor remarked that that of Nigeria the pandemic response will be severely affected by the indefinite NARD strike.
“To a large extent, the strike will affect Covid’s management situation, but doctors need to be alive to save lives,” said Douglas, who suggested the timing of the strike could be strategic.
“It could be argued that the timing is wrong, but doctors are also strategists. The timing of the strike comes at a time when it will have more effect.”