Medical services at the Igando General Hospital in Lagos were scaled down on Thursday following directives to medical doctors by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NMA, Lagos branch, had directed medical doctors in three government hospitals on Lagos Island to embark on an indefinite strike over the death of its member, Dr. Diaso Vwaere.
The late Vwaere, a medical house officer with the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, died on Aug. 1, following injuries sustained when an elevator crashed from the 10th floor of the hospital building.
Dr. Vwaere was in the elevator when it crashed.
The medical association also directed all the doctors in other government hospitals in the state to scale down activities as a mark of respect for their dead colleague.
A NAN correspondent who visited the hospital reports that few patients who needed emergency treatment were seen at the emergency unit waiting to be attended to.
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Places like the eye unit, dental department, laboratory, pharmacy hospital and others which were always filled with patients, were deserted.
Agnes Elue, one of the patients who spoke to NAN, said she was unaware of the directive given to doctors to scale down services before coming to the hospital.
“Today is my appointment day with the doctor, I wouldn’t have wasted my money on transportation, I only got to know about what happened when I got here.
“It’s unfortunate that the doctor died in that circumstance but patients are the ones suffering because we don’t have access to treatment,” she said.
Also, Mrs Bola Adekola, who accompanied her ageing mother to the hospital, said government should do more to address the issues affecting the health sector.
Adekola said the death of Vwaere was an avoidable incident caused by negligence.
She said: “The young lady died due to the nonchalant attitude of the government and hospital where the elevator incident happened.
“The government must step up and do the needful. This action will deprive a lot of people access to care, including my 78-year-old mother.”
Effort made by NAN correspondent to speak to some of the few doctors on ground was turned down. (NAN)
