Following the nationwide strike embarked upon by resident doctors, hospitals in Benue State have begun to send patients home.
It would be recalled that the association of Resident Doctors in Benue State had joined the strike action vowing that there was no going back until their demands were met.
As the strike enters the third day, the hospitals have begun to send the patients back to their homes.
A patient on admission at the general hospital Makurdi, who didn’t want to be named told journalists that they were asked to vacate the hospital and go home on Tuesday.
“Those of us who are owing huge amount were asked to sign an undertaking of payment and leave the hospital facility until the strike is called off.”
Our source expressed worries that his wife has not recovered from her ailment and that her condition may deteriorate if she doesn’t get continuous medical attention.
“My wife had serious issues and had gone into coma but was revived after some time. We have been in the hospital for sometime and if I take her home without medical attention, she might relapse again,” he lamented.
At the Federal Medical Center, (FMC), Makurdi, a doctor who pleaded anonymity told The Next Edition that the hospital has become a ghost of itself.
“The hospital is a ghost of itself. We can’t run the place without them (resident doctors).
“They are the foot soldiers. It’s just like asking the generals to mobilize themselves to fight Boko Haram. The generals can’t fight that battle, they can only direct. So, it is the same thing. The resident doctors are the ones who do the job, we can only direct. And once they are not there, there is nothing we can do.”
Asked what the patients would do, the doctor said the question should be directed at the government who should worry about that.
“I don’t think government is taking some of its responsibilities seriously. The minimum any democratic government should offer is a good health care system and a good education system. But all the money is being spent on security.
“We are not giving attention to health and education and if we take care of these two, security will take care of itself. All the people who are stable, we would discharge them and those that are bad, we will refer them.
“Those that only need to complete their medication, we leave them and the nurses will continue to administer the drugs to them,” the doctor said.
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At the Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, a doctor who didn’t want to be named also confirmed that all the resident doctors have deserted the hospital premises.
“But the consultants are around, the nurses and other health workers are also available and they are attending to the patients.
Our source, however, lamented that the absence of the resident doctors has reduced the capacity of the hospital to attend to all its numerous patients.
“The hospital may not admit new patients except for emergencies but we are still seeing patients.
“So first timers may have to come back when the strike is called off but those already on medication are being attended to,” the doctor added.
