The seven-day warning strike by medical and health workers in Oyo has paralysed hospital activities across the state.

The warning strike by medical and health workers, coupled with the indefinite strike by nurses and midwives over a month ago, came amid a nationwide cholera outbreak.

On May 21, nurses and midwives embarked on an indefinite strike in compliance with the directive of the state chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).

The union, through its chairman, Samuel Adeyemi, had cited the state government’s failure to address its demands as the reason for calling for the strike.

Also, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Oyo chapter, directed its members on Monday to embark on a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands.

On Wednesday, government hospitals within the Ibadan metropolis reported that medical and health workers were conspicuously absent due to industrial action.

The government hospitals visited included the State Hospital at Ring Road, Oni and Son Memorial Hospital, and Jericho Nursing Home.

The usual hustle and bustle that used to characterise the hospitals had disappeared, while offices and emergency wards were deserted, and the facilities remained a ghost of their former selves.

Several patients lamented that the industrial action was taking its toll on them, as they complained of not receiving adequate medical attention from the hospitals.

Yemisi Adeyanju, a housewife, regretted that her baby could not receive her immunisation due to the strike, saying, “My daughter could not get her immunisation because the nurses who are to attend to us have not been working for more than one month now.

A patient, Tobi Ajayi, lamented that major hospital departments were not working.

“Imagine the risk they are putting the lives of the patients into,” Mr Ajayi said.

The MHWUN chairman, John Fabunmi, had maintained that the workers would continue the strike until their demands were met.

“If the government fails to respond to the strike by next Monday when the warning strike will be over, we will then embark on an indefinite strike till our demands are met,” Mr Fabunmi said.

Reacting to the situation, the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Happy Adedapo, said it was unfortunate that the government had been “insensitive” to the plights of the health workers.

“It is unfortunate that this is the era when cholera cases in Lagos are on the increase. If care is not taken, due to the proximity, there might be a cholera epidemic of high proportion in Oyo state,” said Mr Adedapo. “The health of Oyo indigenes are at risk. We are talking about life and health here. So the government should be more responsive, meet the striking workers and find solutions to the issues at stake.”

Also, a former spokesman for NMA, Obitade Obimakinde, said the cholera outbreak was a major public health emergency with dire consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality.

“Government needs to do everything humanly possible to avert the impending doom; they need to sit down with the leaders of the health workers’ unions and attend to their demands,” Mr Obimakinde said.

Similarly, Oludayo Olabampe, the chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of University College Hospital, said a responsible government should grant the unions’ demands now to avoid serious health issues.

However, the chairman of Oyo State Hospitals’ Management Board, Akin Fagbemi, said the government would look into the agitations of the striking health workers.

(NAN)