Clinical and academic activities have been grounded at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, as the nationwide strike embarked by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) enters its sixth day.
A check by thevNews Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the hospital reveals that the outpatient departments, cash offices and other offices were locked.
However, nurses and doctors were seen providing skeletal services at Shehu Idris Emergency unit of the hospital, and other wards within the facility.
Mr Lawal Bab-Salam, the branch Chairman of the union, said “as you can observe the only two groups that are working are nurses and doctors”.
He added that the nurses and doctors alone cannot work without the members of the union such as health assistants and other workers who were on strike.
He said the strike also crippled academic activities being provided by the seven schools which were under the hospital.
“The hospital has seven schools and the lecturers are not working; so also the transport unit which conveys students from Tudun Wada branch of the hospital to its permanent site at Shika are alsoc on strike,’’ he said.
“Based on the report we received from the monitoring team on the strike, academic and clinical activities at the hospital has been grounded.
“JOHESU members encompasses about 90 per cent of the workforce in the hospital and without the services of the members of JOHESU there is nothing that can go on in the hospital.”
He said the services provided by JOHESU members include, but not limited to, management and supply of power, water supply, laboratory service, audit and general administration of the hospital.
“You can now gauge the impact of the services of this cohort in hospital when they decide to down tool.
“You can now see the hospital is totally grounded both in clinical and academic services.
“We pray the government will not allow this strike to linger and we urge the new government to explore the path of peace with the union for the purpose of humanity,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that on May 25, JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) directed its members to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike.
The unions are demanding for immediate approval and implementation of the technical committee report on CONHESS adjustment by the government.
They are also demanding the immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances of affected health workers in federal health institutions, among others. (NAN)
