From Yunus U. Shuaib, Katsina
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Patients at the Federal Medical Center Katsina have called on the Association of Resident Doctors to consider their plights and call off its strike.
Some patients, who spoke to Daily Telescope at Federal Medical Centre Katsina, expressed concern about the ongoing strike embarked upon by the resident doctors.
Malam Muhammad Auwal said the call became necessary in view of the fact that, Consultant Doctors alone could not be enough to take care of the patients on admission.
Auwal noted that, industrial action should not be the only way the Doctors could express their grievances to the government.
Another patient, Alhaji Nazifi Muhammad said though other health workers were rendering services at the facility but doctors are desperately needed by the patients.
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Also, a patient relative, Mustafa Abdullahi appreciated how the supportive staff are taking care of the patients during the strike.
The Out Patients Department (OPD) was empty as at the time our reporter visited the hospital.
The President of the Association of Resident Doctors in Katsina, Dr Salihu Abubakar Bolakade said they went on strike in solidarity to their co-workers.
According to him all Doctors employed were entitled to undergo a one-year internship, but for four months they were not paid their salaries.
The president also decried on the N5,000 hazard allowance paid to them which needs an adjustment despite all the risks they have been facing in the line of duty.
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Dr. Bolakade assured that the doctors would resume duty as soon as the issue is resolved between them and government.
He said the national leadership of the association is doing its best to settle the issue, saying “it is not in the intrest of the doctors to put patients in any hardship.”
