Faridat Ogundairo
A pregnant woman has tragically lost her life as a result of disrupted healthcare services during a five-day strike led by resident doctors at the state government-owned Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia.
The deceased woman had been scheduled for a cesarean section at the hospital, but unfortunately passed away while waiting for medical attention from doctors.
The resident doctors initiated the strike as a warning measure, aiming to compel the state government to address critical issues pertaining to the welfare of healthcare professionals.
This strike followed a 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigerian Medical Association to the state government, demanding prompt resolution of the ongoing concerns or facing the consequences of a shutdown in the healthcare sector.
Dr. Peter Attah, the state chairman of the association, listed the major issues at stake, which included the prolonged non-implementation of promotions and annual salary increments for doctors over a nine-year period.
Additionally, the doctors expressed their discontent regarding the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments, the failure to implement the revised Hazard allowance circular along with the associated 17-month arrears, excessive taxation, inadequate manpower, and an overwhelming workload.
Dr. Attah further highlighted the non-promotion of doctors hired in 2014 at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia and the Hospital Management Board, stretching over nine years.
He said, “added to the challenges is non-promotion of doctors who were employed in 2014 at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia and the Hospital Management Board for the past nine years.”
Tragically, the deceased woman’s appointment coincided with the commencement of the warning strike.
Malam Abubakar Liman, the grieving husband of the deceased, explained that they had chosen to rely on the hospital’s services due to their inability to afford the expenses of private hospitals.
While he accepted his wife and unborn child’s fate as an act of God, he appealed to the state government to urgently address the doctors’ demands in the interest of the less privileged.
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