THE end to the protracted
doctors ’ strike in Lagos State
may not be in sight as the
four- week-old strike, on
Friday, took a dramatic twist
when their colleagues in the
federal health institutions in
the state threatened to begin
a one- week warning
solidarity strike by
tomorrow.
The solidarity strike is
expected to convey to the
Lagos State Government the
displeasure of the Nigerian
Medical Association (NMA)
over the lingering impasse
between them and the
doctors.
With the latest development,
which would remove the
only respite left for Lagosians
seeking healthcare services
in the state public sector,
many more preventable
deaths are likely to be
recorded particularly from
emergency and referral
cases, if nothing urgent was
done to resolve the face-off
between the doctors and the
state government.
Only patients already on
admission in Federal
Government health
institutions in the state,
including Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, LUTH,
Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-
Meta and National
Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi,
would be attended to during
the one-week solidarity
strike. No new patient
including emergency cases
would be accepted.
Briefing newsmen after an
emergency general meeting
of the state NMA, the Lagos
State chairman of the
association, Dr. Edamisan
Temiye, alleged that the state
government had failed to
honour its agreement with
the doctors that in January
2011, it was going to
implement the Consolidated
Medical Salary Structure
(CONMESS), fully for members
of the guild, reinstate Dr.
Olaifa, a victimised member,
and review the heavy tax
doctors pay to the state
government.