Doctors' Strike Bites Harder In Jos

JOS, June 24, (THEWILL) - Patients in Jos have continued to reel under the agony of the industrial action embarked upon by the National Association of Residence Doctors, NARD, as only few doctors are available at major hospitals in the state.
The strike declared by the national body of the NARD enters its third day today.

The two tertiary hospitals in Jos, the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, as well as the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, were yesterday trying to cope with the large number of patients in their facilities.

Our correspondent observed that many of the patients could not be attended to due to the few number of doctors available. Nurses were seen trying to organize and explain things to the patients.

Both the medical personnel around and the patients that turned out to work lamented over the situation and called on the federal government to hastily address the situation before it gets out of hand.

Most people in Plateau and its neighboring states who cannot afford go to privately owned hospitals prefer the two hospitals due to the comparative low cost of medical care.

Many of them complain that even with the strike they cannot go elsewhere as they cannot afford to.

The NARD had declared a nationwide strike following the expiration of a 21 working day ultimatum given to the federal and state governments to among other issues commence the payment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure CONMESS, for its members.

The Plateau state chapter joined in the indefinite strike immediately leading to the shortage of doctors in the major hospitals in the state.