Some doctors under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), numbering two hundred have embarked on an indefinite strike in Ebonyi State amidst coronavirus pandemic.
The lecturers work at the Alex Ekwueme Federal teaching hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
The president of the Union, Chidubem Osuagwu, said they are being forced to withdraw their services at a period when Covid-19 is spreading in Nigeria following an attack on one of their members by an assailant.
“The assailant had attacked one of our members on Wednesday, March 18 and went further to threaten to burn down the hospital and stab to death any doctor he finds around the hospital”.
“Within this same period, there were 4 recorded cases of near assaults on doctors diligently carrying out their duties
“We as doctors working in AEFUTHA face very serious challenges in caring for Ebonyians and other patients from outside the state. Most of the time, the patients present very late to us when little or nothing can be done to save them.“
“This is usually after they have spent several days in TBA homes, traditional medicine homes or even in their places of worship and are now at the point of death. Most of them come to the hospital with no money and often times the doctors task themselves to contribute money to procure drugs to make sure these patients receive the appropriate treatment.
“Doctors in AEFUTHA are often called out in dire emergencies to donate blood to save the life of patients who were brought to hospital in shock from either vaginal bleeding or road traffic accident who require surgery and urgent blood transfusion to stay alive.“Most of the relatives of these patients refuse to donate blood to save them claiming either that they are not the patient’s husband or relative or that they will die if they donate blood.
The Doctors expressed sadness at the ugly development adding that they no longer consider it safe to continue working in the face of glaring threats to their lives.
