By Chioma Obinna
LAGOS — Emotions ran high, yesterday, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, when the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, called at the institution, following the renewed strike by the medical doctors in the state.

The Commissioner was at the institution for an on-the-spot assessment of the areas of need to ensure that patients do not suffer undue hardship while the strike lasts.

Patients, who probably must have got wind of the commissioner’s visit almost mobbed him as many of them were on their knees crying and begging him to find a way of resolving their differences within the shortest period of time.

The drama, which ensued at the emergency department of the hospital was pathetic as 90 per cent of the patients were the aged, children and pregnant women.

The most pathetic of them all was the case of a child suffering from Hydrocephalus, a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. According to experts, conditions like that requires at least three surgery sections, unfortunately, the child has done two and was at the hospital to complete the surgery when they discovered that the doctors were on strike.

Further investigations by Vanguard revealed that the stories were not different in all the departments of the hospital. At the eye centre, it was a thug of war as patients numbering almost 200 were waiting endlessly to be attended to. Many of them claimed that their appointments were given since May 2010 only to come back yesterday and found that the doctors were strike.

Addressing the patients, Idris, who claimed that the government had met at least 90 per cent of the doctors’ demands, said the action was unnecessary as the state government has recently approved an improved remuneration package for the Medical Guild.

Idris urged the doctors to dialogue with government on any areas of discomfort they might have with the improved remuneration package, stressing that the government is willing and ready to look into it.

Calling on the doctors to call off the strike and embrace the path of dialogue, he said: “It is unfortunate that our colleagues have decided to embark on yet another strike action despite the state government’s recent approval of new salary scale structure. Whatever it is that they are not happy with, government said it will look into it.”

The Commissioner explained that his visit to LASUTH was to find out the areas of need in the Hospital and see how to meet these needs in order to cushion the effects of the strike action added that the government will do all within its power to ensure that the strike does not last for too long a time.

Explaining why the new salary structure was not reflected in the January salary, the commissioner said the 2011 budget has just been passed few weeks ago. According to him, the State House of Assembly approved the 2011 budget two weeks ago and the governor gave his accent almost immediately, hence there is the need for the ministry of finance to ensure that all the details are sorted out adding that the full payment of the new salary package will commence next month with full complement of the January areas.

His words, What was paid in January was the old rate and that was because the House recently passed the 2011 budget. Payment of the new salary structure will commence next month when necessary arrears will also be paid. There is no need for the doctors to lose confidence in the state government as the salary review committee set up by the government is not a one_off committee but a committee set up to work continuously to address the welfare of staff.

He explained that the government is working out an agreement with doctors in the private sector to ensure that activities in government_owned hospital are not totally paralyzed just as he assured that activities in medical and surgical emergency are not grounded.

Also, speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof. David Adewale Oke said the government had weekend met with doctors in the private sector and has agreed on how to come in and cushion the effect of the strike. “The hospital is taking list of doctors required to fill in the gaps but with what has happened this morning we will increase our intervention levels by also manning other clinics apart from medicines and ophthalmology”.