The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, has continued to render normal services to patients in the state in spite the ongoing national strike by doctors.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent monitoring the strike reports that normal activities are going on at the FMC and Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja.

Doctors and nurses are seen active on their duty posts attending to patients in their large numbers without any hindrance.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD), FMC Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, told NAN that services are ongoing across the hospital including surgeries and laboratories services.

“Generally, we have minimal strike here because the majority of what the national body of NARD are agitating for have almost been implemented at FMC Lokoja.

“So, the management has to make sure that services are rendered to our patients including surgeries. For now, we have been attending to patients as usual,” Alabi said.

He added that the hospital always engage enough NYSC members than any other hospital across the nation, saying there are currently 110 corps members to provide services to patients.

The situation is also the same at the KSSH, Lokoja, as normal activities are going on smoothly with doctors attending to patients steadily.

Dr Jafar Abdulrahman, Chairman, NARD, KSSH, also told NAN that members of the association in the state did not join the strike due to the existing ultimatum given to Kogi Government on the same issues that triggered the national strike.

However, “the ultimatum will expire by the end of this month, that is why we did not join the ongoing national strike,” Abdulrahaman said.

A patient at the FMC, Mrs Bimbo Olalekan, commended the doctors in Kogi for not joining the strike.
“My two-year-old daughter was having a high temperature and I have to rush her down to the hospital and she was immediately attended to by the doctor on duty. I am grateful to God and to the physicians,” Olalekan said.

NARD embarked on the nationwide industrial action to press home six demands, including payment of their salary shortfalls spanning from December 2016 till date.

Other demands are payment of House Officers full salaries, placement of members on their appropriate Grade Levels, stop stagnation of promotion and capture of members on Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS).

They are also seeking for improved infrastructure and equipment in public health facilities.

(Source: NAN)