COVID-19, Doctors Striking? Seriously!? Now!!?

The value of our medical facilities, particularly those manned by Resident Doctors, are most appreciated now our leaders have nowhere else to run to, except of course the private hospitals. That, however are still in this country and suffering to a large extent, same lacks. As we highlight such fact, so too, glaring are the inadequacies and dire needs for all sorts of equipments, particularly those used by the frontline workers. Most importantly, the  beam has also searched out the workers-all of them-under paid and whose services have been taken for granted for far too long compared to their counterparts, world over.

So, fighting for the strengthening of the existing medical facilities eloquently demonstrates the doctors' desire to serve, then the call and their drawing attention to the myriad inadequacies as well as pointing to the specific urgent need areas for greater investments to the level of WHO budgetary recommendation, is logical, makes humane sense and professionally sound. Where we are right now medically has not and cannot meet the health requirement of the populace. I understand that by best practice, for our grading as 'developing country,' a doctor should cater for way, way below the one to one thousand or more patience that is presently said to be the ratio.

So, given this scenario; that, the quintessence, significance or essentiality of doctors, particularly, those closest to us, the poor-Resident Doctors-is not in doubts; so also is the burning and acute need for equipment and adequate as well as proper investment, of a priority; and, lastly, the poor, sick and most vulnerable do not have enough doctors to go round so, essentially have resorted and forced to turn to these others: nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, environmentalists at medical facilities, laboratory Technicians, traditional healers, churches, mosques, etc for prescriptions. Is this the time for doctors, any doctor-I do not mean native doctor-to go on strike!?

I get it, dispute is inevitable between Trade Union members and employer; in this case Resident Doctors Union and the Federal Government of Nigeria. It has obviously come to a head, resulting in refusal to work until the dispute has been resolved. Now note: This dispute is between Resident Doctors and the government so why did I see on national television some general hospitals under lock and key with sick patients turned away? Is the action by the doctors concerns of the nurses plus other health workers? Why can’t those with minor ailments be attended to by these others? Would hospitals also be locked when it is the turns of Health Attendants? Nurses? Laboratory Technicians, Pharmacists, etc? Haba! Can’t the hospital function without them?

Now, who is a Resident Doctor? ‘A resident physician is more commonly referred to as a resident, senior house officer (in Commonwealth countries), or alternatively, a senior resident medical officer or house officer. Residents have graduated from an accredited medical school and hold a medical degree (MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB). Residents are, collectively, the house staff of a hospital. This term comes from the fact that resident physicians traditionally spend the majority of their training "in house" (i.e., the hospital-WikipediA).’ Simply put then, Resident Doctors are these doctors we often see at the General Hospitals, etc and by implications, there are others, who are non resident doctors then. So, why can’t we call on these others to come help; assisted where our front-liners have abandoned us? Are there no window in industrial strike matters to do without the aggrieved?

Now, what are the procedures for industrial actions? I made calls to some doctor friends employed by government for further clarifications, few, because of the strike, were busy at their private clinics and my heart, bleeding for the majority of ‘us’ who cannot go to these private clinics prompted me to ask each, I spoke with, “what the hell is going doc, why have you locked our General Hospitals, etc for a dispute between you and the government?” And, most answers were; ‘first, I’m not a resident but I support their actions because we are tired of failed promises by the government, so, the Union Executives directed the downing of tools.’ “So, it is the Union Executives then? But why lockdown the hospitals?” ‘Go ask the Union Executives,’ the retorted response. I do not know any Union Executive so decided to write. 

The enquiries I made on procedure for strike, resulted in the following:

Before a strike, a Trade Union needs to hold a ballot, supervised by a qualified independent person, union with over 50 members ballot ought to be open to all members - done by postal ballot for those far off; with details of what actions to be embarked on about clearly stated; numbers of those in agreement for action made known; as well as employer given, minimum one week notice. Now supposing all these procedures have been followed, employer has option not to pay striking workers within the period of such action, etc.

So, I’m thinking where all cards are on the table, where these set-resident doctors decided to strike, why not let them be, stop their pay while they cool off and the negotiations continued but leave our hospitals opened with non resident doctors, inclusive of private ones prepared to work, come take care of our sicks? Then pay them monies that should have gone to the Resident Doctors. Okay, say their grievances are legit as I suspect they are and it sounds wicked to stop their ‘pay.’ But, why not? Whenever the government does wrong, we the poor are at the receiving end, again, any professional set decides they want what-whatever, decides to down tools, in places where the poor receive services, such places get shut! Why!! When are we the poor ever considered? Are there no other way(s) to hold the government to ransom without the poor bearing the brunt? Go fight the government, we’d root for you but leave us out!!! Common, do you see essential, vital sectors professionals doing same in other part of the world? Come to think of it, we are all witnesses to the happenings with Covid-19 the world over where doctors, nurses and health attendants, fire men, the police, all essential sectors workers dying in their dozens in Europe, the America’s, etc and screaming for adequacy of working tools PPE, etc. We are also witnesses to health professionals, etc being applauded for their heroism and valorous sacrifices, all over. But back in our neck of woods, we hear only drums and dance of threats and strikes.

I do empathise with these doctors, it’d be wicked, haughty as well as insolent to insinuate or advocate that they die and not be cared for, after all, they are our sons and daughters, same way, I do too for all our other suffering professionals not fairly treated. But, as your family, parents and siblings, would you let us agonise, continually racked by diseases, left to bleed to death even as the government has made us this wretched?