Doctor Sends Patients Out Of Hospital, Risking The Life Of A Severely Malnourished Toddler. Doctors Or The Government, Who Is To Blame During A Strike Action?

sick child sent out of the hospital

Medical activities were grounded at the government owned hospitals in Edo State, following the 5-day warning strike imposed by the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA.


As doctors downed their tools, patients were left at the receiving end, with many who cannot afford to be checked into a private hospital, left to their fate.

Among several patients abandoned at the General Hospital, Benin, was a severely malnourished toddler, who is clinging to life. The mother was forced to take the sick child home, leaving her to the mercy of God.

Several others who underwent surgeries were left with stitches, with no doctors on ground to tend to them, those who had the financial muscle to be transferred to a private hospital were immediately taken away by family members, while those who could not afford it, were left in the hospital bed to die.

The doctors are lamenting of being marginalised in terms of welfare, government owned hospitals have deteriorated and the hospitals lack basic equipments needed in the medical field. And above all, they need their salary reviewed, while their counterparts in other parts of the world are protesting being over paid they sing a different tune.

In all these, the average citizen is made to suffer, no doubt several lives will be lost as a result of the strike. Would one say the doctors are being heartless? risking their patients to die, in a bid to press home their demands? Or is the government being insensitive to the plights of the average citizen?.