David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Chief Medical Director of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Professor Anthony Igwegbe, has told patients of the health institution not to panic over the on-going strike by the resident doctors.
While admitting that it was not easy to run the hospital without the contribution of the resident doctors, Igwegbe said that consultants were on hand to close the gap as much as possible.
“It is quite difficult to cope without the resident doctors especially at this critical time when the health sector is being challenged over COVID-19 pandemic. As a management, we have met with the medical consultants through NAUTH chapter of the association. We discussed extensively with them and urged them to continue to work. So, the consultants are working.
“However, there are some cases that require intensive care that would be difficult to handle. But the ones they can manage comfortably with the nurses will be handled. That is the status of our health care services at the moment until the strike is over,” the CMD said.
He said as the hospital did not have full complement of staff, the option left for them was to handle select cases that could be managed by the consultants and nurses, adding that other health workers were right on their beats working.