The three-day warning strike embarked upon by Doctors in the employment of Lagos state to demand for the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale Structure (CONMESS) recorded partial success yesterday as some of the doctors were on duties attending to patients.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that while most of the doctors stayed away from their duty posts in obedience of the Medical Guild, senior medical workers, consultants and nurses were on hand to render medical services to Lagosians.
At the General Hospital, Orile-Agege at about 10am, many patients gathered in numbers at the waiting room, but no doctor was there in the hospital to attend to them. But few hours later, senior medical personnel attended to patients and those with serious ailments.
Patients seen discussing their fate in group lamented the situation, accusing the state government of refusing to yield to the demands of the doctors who they said save guards lives of the people.
According Mrs. Adeyanju , an elderly patient, “Who do we blame, the doctors or the government who refused to fulfill its own obligation? Look at the crowd here this morning, a doctor will work for long hours and at the end, somebody will make promise and not fulfill its obligation. The government should just attend to the needs of these doctors,” he said.
Another patient, Mr. Friday Adere noted that the inability of the government to meet the needs of the doctors caused the strike action, urging the government to consider the fate of the poor patients who cannot take treatment in private hospitals.