*Suspended strike by FMC, Abeokuta health workers left some patients dead, many others traumatised.

By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

The mission statement of Federal Medical Centres (FMC) across the nation is “to provide quality and timely clinical and other supportive services to patients and clients at a reasonable cost …”

A virtually empty ward at the FMC, Abeokuta.

But the opposite is always the case whenever the personnel goes on  strike .For the record, FMC, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta came into existence on April 21,1993,when the State Hospital, Idi-Aba was handed over to the Federal Government by the then Governor Olusegun Osoba for development into a tertiary health institution for the people of Ogun State.

And being a Federal Government hospital, it attracts patients from within and outside the state. Because of the “quality and timely” services alongside its cost which is cheaper, compared to the state government owned hospitals, many people prefer to be treated for ailments at the FMC.

However, the situation at the FMC, Abeokuta, recently, was pathetic and agonizing as many patients were abandoned to their fate by aggrieved health workers who went on strike over the alleged failure of the management to promote their members from the cadre of Assistant Director to Director.

Many of the patients were left to die. Speaking on the rationale behind the strike, Ogun State Chairman, Senior Staff Association, Comrade Samuel Idowu, who is also the leader of the FMC, Abeokuta Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU,
and the Public Relations Officer of JOHESU, Taiwo Tiamiyu, said the management  refused to shift ground on the promotion issue.

Idowu, who described the strike as total and indefinite, lamented that his members who were supposed to be promoted from level 14, Assistant Directors cadre, to level 15 , Directors, had stagnated for years.

“There is a circular from the Federal Ministry of Health instructing CMDs
and the MDs to promote members of staff from level 14 to 15, Assistant Director to Director”, he stated.

“The situation is that the strike is in full force. The compliance is hundred percent by our members.  What gave rise to the situation is the penchant of the CMDs and MDs of Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centers to disregard agreements reached with the unions. So, what is playing out here is what we are also experiencing at the national level. This is only a unit of what operates at the national level.

“We have been on this issue since 2010, the issue of skipping that our members are not allowed to do. We continued engaging them in meetings and it went to the level that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had to wade in. I feel at that level, government was expressing its sincerity to listen to us. But, the disposition of the CMDs and the Ministry of Health in particular on this issue has been a source of worry, and that is why we are where we are today.

“We had given the management a-21 day ultimatum after which they called us for a meeting. They asked for two weeks extension which we gave. After the two weeks, they reneged on their promise.  That prompted us to give another seven days ultimatum. By law, we should give them 15 days. But you can see that we had given them enough room to accede to our demand but they stood their ground. We have to take our destiny in our hands and embark on an indefinite strike”.

Deadlocked meetings

A patient, Mrs Funmilayo Odesan

Present at the deadlocked meetings were the Medical Director, Dr. Oladapo Sotiloye ; Head of Clinical Services, Dr. Cynthia Akinsanya; Assistant Director for Nursing Services, Mrs. Deborah Adesina, and Assistant Director for Works and Maintenance, Engr. Olusola Johnson, while the delegation of JOHESUunion was led by  Idowu; Taiwo; Fagbohun Abosede, the representative of NANNM; Lateef Rahman, the NAAP Chairman; and Aboaba Adekunle.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that no fewer than five patients at the FMC lost their lives hours into the indefinite strike.
It was also gathered that some patients were  locked in the wards for over inability to off-set their bills.  Others who were discharged due to the strike went to private and state government owned hospitals for the continuation of their treatment.

When our correspondent visited the FMC, it was deserted by patients and health workers. Only a few  doctors and members of the management were seen.
The Emergency Ward, the Pharmacy, the Labour Ward, the Antenatal and Post Natal Wards, the General Out-Patients Department, the Specialist Clinic, the Theatre, among others, were under lock and key.

At the Gynaecology Ward, some patients were reportedly discharged but not allowed to go home due to their inability to pay their bills.

Dead
It was gathered that two patients died at the Emergency Ward, one at the Gynaecology Ward and two on their way to another hospital in Abeokuta after the strike started.

The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Segun Orisajo, said the management had met with the unions in an attempt to resolve the issue at stake.
According to him, dialogue was on-going.  “We are hopeful that normalcy will soon return to the centre”, Orisajo added.

Recounting their ordeal , some of the patients and relatives lamented that they were the most hit by the strike, appealing to the unions and hospital management to sheath their swords for their sake.

One of them, Olaleye Abiodun, said he brought his sister from Agege, Lagos State but became stranded following the strike.
“They had been attending to her very well, but, starting from yesterday (Monday), there have been some changes which saw the nurses abandoning her because they are on strike”, he said.

Another patient, Olaleye Funmilayo, who was among those locked in the ward at the FMC said she did not leave the hospital because she could not walk.
Mrs. Funmilola Odesan, who brought her mum to the hospital also shared her bitter experience.  “My mum has been sick for almost two months now, necessitating our bringing her here.  We were  not told  there will be strike.

They just came yesterday and told us the strike was starting and we were automatically discharged. And we don’t have enough fund here, so we are stranded”, she stated.

Mrs. Sola Bello, a patient, said, “Please, help us beg the Federal Government that they should  save people’s lives.  We are just here
in pains. Yesterday, someone died here because they withdrew oxygen from her, it is not fair”.

However, a doctor who did not want her name in print, was spotted in one of the wards in the hospital, attending to some patients.  She described her experience as not too bad.

She said “It has not been bad.  The lesson is that we are not independent of the other personnel.  We all need each other to deliver health care to our patients. That is just the lesson I am learning, but, by and large, I have been having fun with my patients that are still around”.