Resident doctors at the Federal Medical Centre Gusau on Wednesday began a three-day warning strike over deteriorating state of facilities in the hospital.
The branch President of the Association of Residents Doctor (ARD), Dr Asogwa Emmanuel, disclosed this to newsmen at a press conference in Gusau.
Emmanuel said that the association held emergency congress meeting on Tuesday over various issues hindering smooth healthcare delivery in the centre.
“The association condemned the recent employment of new nine house officers,’’ he said.
“We ought to be making progress but we are consciously treading the path of regression by employing these nine officers.
“We humbly draw the attention of the management to the consultant house officers’ with the ratio 1:4, but from our statistical data there are about 19 consultants in the four core departments.
“Hence 76 house officers ideally should be the required number.
“However, ARD demanded an employment of nothing less than 24 house officers.
“ARD also demanded a copy of budgetary provision for house officers and a copy of the application made to increase the number of house officers.
“We wish to notify the management again about the fast deteriorating condition of all our emergency points, emergency responses to emergency cases, quality healthcare delivery to the populace and manpower as regards to paediatric department.
“Also we crave for the availability of emergency medications, availability of basic resuscitation equipments and availability of ventilators and other life supporting equipments in our intensive care unit is still a mirage.
“The ARD have not seen any active action put in place by management towards addressing those numerous challenges that has constantly limited us for delivering quick healthcare to our dear patients.
“We are challenging the management to have a view of the delivery beds in labour ward, in a trained department which we regard as an eyesore,’’ he said.
According to him, the association has declared a state of emergency in paediatric department as regards the very low number of doctors to patients’ ratio.
He added that ARD decried the shortage of electric power supply in the state in the recent time.
They however fault the management for their failure to find a better alternative to the challenge.
They noted that the power outage had affected effective delivery of health care services to patients and has caused some patients their lives.
The ARD stressed on the accreditation of junior residency training for doctors at the paediatric department.
According to the ARD president, the congress will reconvene at 8 a.m on Friday, for further deliberation.
Meanwhile, the management of the hospital is yet to react to the development.
