18th March, 2015
Doctors in Lagos have begun an indefinite strike to protest the non payment of their September 2014 salaries. The doctor’s grievance also include the continued employment of doctors as casual (contract) workers and the non-employment of resident doctors in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Before now, the doctors had issued a 10-day ultimatum to the state government to settle the issue and avert yet another strike that would put the lives of sick members of the public at risk. But the state government has insisted its ‘no work, no pay’ policy applies to doctors who participated in the last doctors’ nationwide strike at a time the Ebola Virus Disease was ravaging the state.
Giving reasons for its stand on the issue, the state government noted that it could not continue to overlook the law while certain professionals choose to stay off work and insist on being paid for job not done. As it stands, the die is cast. As usual innocent patients would bear the brunt of the strike. During the last strike by doctors, scores of patients suffered untold hardship as the hospitals were practically locked down. Many in-patients were left with no option than to either go to private hospitals or wait for death.
It is regrettable that doctors have decided to embark on yet another strike at the detriment of the numerous sick patients in the state whom they had sworn to protect. While we acknowledge the right of doctors to insist on their rights as enshrined in the labours laws, abandoning sick patients in hospital beds should not be an option.
We urge the state government to also reconsider its position of non-negotiation with the doctors on this issue. Aside the issue of non- payment of their salaries, the doctors have also raised other issues that should be addressed urgently. We appeal to both parties to come to the dialogue table to sort out the current issue as the society cannot continue to lose innocent lives due to avoidable labour dispute.
Unless there is a compromise, and the expectations of doctors working in government hospitals in Lagos State are met, with all withheld salary arrears paid, public hospitals in the state could once again be on vacation while the sick would have to look elsewhere for succour.