There seems to be no end in sight to the industrial action embarked upon by resident doctors at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). The hospital, which caters for patients from Edo, Delta and Ondo states, has been on lockdown since August 5, 2016, when the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, UBTH Chapter announced that they were going on indefinite strike following a breakdown of negotiations with the hospital authorities over issues surrounding allowances and the management of the hospital. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the doctors are demanding, among other things, proper equipping of the hospital, reduction in the charges paid by patients, and transparency in the running of the facility. It was also gathered that the doctors accused the hospital management of high-handedness and laxity. However, the management insisted that they have done all that was required of them and see no reason the resident doctors should still be on strike. While the face-off lingers, patients at the hospital bear the burden. Presently, medical services are rendered by the few consultants who cannot cope with the number of patients in the wards. The wards of the hospital, once ranked among the best Federal Tertiary Health Institutions (FTHI) in the country, have been deserted. The few patients left on admission have virtually been abandoned. They are helpless and hopeless. A patient, who gave her name as Esther, said she had waited endlessly to be attended to. “Only the nurses come to look after us. The doctors that come are few and their ward rounds don’t cover all of us, “she said. This development has led to many deaths since the strike began. Among the dead is one Margaret Edobor, a fire victim admitted at the hospital a month before the industrial action commenced. According to her brother, Mr. Sunday Ogbewe, the patient was already responding to treatment before the strike started.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/doctors-tell-dying-patients-ubth-made-impossible-save/

Nothing is working in this kantry