Fear grips COVID-19 patients as doctors begin strike in Bayelsa

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Medical doctors in Bayelsa State have embarked on an indefinite industrial action.

Part of their demands, included addressing the working conditions of doctors in the state, especially the disparity in earnings between doctors working in federal and state-owned health institutions due to improper placement in terms of salary scale.

They are demanding payment of rural allowance for doctors working in Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, Yenagoa Local Government Area and payment of enhanced hazard allowance for those handling COVID-19 patients.

Other issues include tackling acute shortage of manpower and upgrading of health facilities particularly at NDUTH.

The doctors, including consultants decided to down tools following the refusal of the state government to honour their demands after they suspended the initial strike they embarked upon.

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Chairman, Peter Alabrah, said the doctors embarked on the strike to press home their demands.

According to him, the doctors cannot depend on verbal agreement when government should have shown commitment by circulating agreements reached for implementation.

Meanwhile, fear has gripped COVID-19 patients over adequate medical care due to the strike.

The patients from NDUTH have been transferred to Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, but there have been several complaints of inadequate care due to shortage of doctors at FMC to attend to them.

Findings indicated that the COVID-19 task force had expressed worry over the implication of government allowing the strike to commence.