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Patients, Others Pray JOHESU Should Never Go On Strike Again

By Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt)
07 February 2015   |   11:00 pm
AS the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) suspends its nearly three months old strike, patients and some hospital managements at government hospitals in Rivers State have heaved a sigh of relief, praying the ugly incident should never occur again.    The hearty prayers, perhaps, was necessitated by the number of lives lost during the striking…

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AS the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) suspends its nearly three months old strike, patients and some hospital managements at government hospitals in Rivers State have heaved a sigh of relief, praying the ugly incident should never occur again.

   The hearty prayers, perhaps, was necessitated by the number of lives lost during the striking period.

   For instance, it was reported in Rivers State that a man whose wife was due for delivery took her to a maternity home from where they were referred to a private hospital. But because he had no money, he brought the wife back to the house, locked her with the older baby and disappeared. The woman, according to the report, laboured until she died. 

    Neighbours had to break the door to gain access into the house and reach the dead woman with the older three-year-old child, who could not give information about the father’s whereabouts.  

   This is one out of the numerous pathetic deaths that were recorded during the three-month-old health workers’ strike.

  Commenting on the issue, Charles Tobin-West, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) said: “We hope and pray that this will be the end of strikes in the health sector. We just pray this strike never happens again.

  “Our desire is to ensure that the people are safe, but it was unfortunate that we lost some patients during the strike, including some medical and non-medical staff, who were also victims. In fact, if the strike was not on, we would have been able to save some of the lost lives.”

   He stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to move the country forward, adding that the health sector is a very critical division for the national development. 

  Recall that in public hospitals in the state such as the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), junior doctors and cleaners were compelled to do the work of nurses, while contract staff were used as secretarial staff.

  Some doctors described the situation as distressing. They, therefore, called for the implementation of the National Health Bill, which according to them, would help to ameliorate future challenges.   

    In some hospitals visited by The Guardian, there was thorough cleaning and mopping of various units and departments going on.

   The workers were not only excited to return to duty, but were also ready to work, as they lamented the effects of staying idle. There was, however, a low turnout of patients, which indicates the need to create more awareness that the strike has been suspended.

   A patient, who identified herself as Mama Happiness said: “I am happy the strike has been suspended and I pray that this kind of strike never happen again in future because the last one costs a lot of damage.”

   Another patient, Emmanuel Akpan said: “We are glad Federal Government and the health workers have been able to resolve their differences. It is for our good and we are happy.”

   On November 2014, the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) had embarked on an indefinite strike alleging that government has failed to implement its agreement with the union on the improvement of the workers’ welfare among other things. 

 

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