BY Sola Ogundipe
LAGOS—Patients are deserting public hospitals as doctors withdraw their services for the third day in compliance with the nationwide strike even as the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, says it is no longer dealing with the Federal Ministry of Health over the strike.

Yesterday, the strike was total in most government hospitals in Lagos which have put in place skeletal services to attend to patients’ needs.
At the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebute-Metta, there was no activity at the emergency ward, while the general ward was almost deserted following mass discharge of patients.

Only a few physiotherapists and other paramedics were on ground. A nurse on duty confirmed that patients whose cases were not too serious had been discharged from the previous day because there were no doctors on duty to attend to them.
She said: “They were asked to settle their bills and go home. We are only monitoring those who cannot be discharged because their condition is critical.”

Only skeletal services were in place at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba.  Activities at the institution’s Accident & Emergency ward were scanty as no new emergency cases were being admitted.
Although all the outpatient clinics were open, only nurses and some paramedics were present even as patients were not forthcoming.

Some patients lamented inability to keep scheduled appointments with their doctors. For instance, a patient, Mrs. Olaide Adedeji complained that her sister, who had been booked for surgery this week, was yet to be confirmed for the procedure.

“We have paid and bought everything required, only to be told the surgery is postponed. So what do we do now? What will happen to my sister,” she wondered.
When confronted, a senior medical staff confirmed that all unscheduled and elective surgical procedures had been suspended and that some patients were requesting to be discharged.