As the nationwide strike by organised labour commenced on Monday, hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were carrying out skeletal services as nurses and other health workers joined the indefinite strike. When our correspondent visited the National Hospital in Abuja, it was learnt that only the medical doctors were fully on ground as they were not affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) The ever-busy hospital was almost looking deserted hours after the strike commenced, with few staff and patients seen around the hospital wards, including the emergency ward. However, the hospital’s spokesperson, Dr Tayo Haastrup, said the hospital was still rendering services, especially to emergency patients.
He said there are different unions and associations in the hospital while confirming that nurses have joined the strike. He said even though nurses have joined the strike action, senior nurses were still around, saying “you know when you become an assistant director as a nurse, you can not just join the strike, those ones are helping out to do one or two things. “The strike has started but at the National Hospital, we are still rendering services.
The nurses have joined the strike but the management is being proactive to resolve that we would give emergency services. We will do our best to see that emergency services are rendered. “I’m sure by tomorrow (Tuesday) we might be running skeletal services.
Also, we have nurses who are on internship, who are helpi.
