How AKTH strike puts lives at risk

As the ongoing indefinite strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) progresses at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), many patients, particularly those with terminal illnesses that require frequent monitoring and treatment are on the verge of losing their lives. Kano Chronicle reports that since the declaration of the strike action by the JOHESU on March 13, virtually all […]

As the ongoing indefinite strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) progresses at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), many patients, particularly those with terminal illnesses that require frequent monitoring and treatment are on the verge of losing their lives.

Kano Chronicle reports that since the declaration of the strike action by the JOHESU on March 13, virtually all medical services have been suspended, with the entire hospital being deserted by members of the striking unions.

When our reporters visited the hospital, it was noticed that most facilities and clinics were abandoned by nurses, record officers, billing officers, pharmacists and even cleaners among many others staffs of the hospital.

JOHESU, an umbrella union which comprises Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Union of Allied Health Professional (NUAP) and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwife (NAMM), started the strike to protest what they called “lack of promotion and stagnation of members.”

Our correspondents observed that only Isiyaku Rabi’u Emergency Pediatric Unit (EPU) was opened for skeleton services with a handful of resident doctors receiving and treating severely sick children.

A woman, Hadiza Salihu, told our reporters that when she took her daughter who had developed severe fever to the EPU, doctors only administered an injection on the sick child and refused to admit her even though “her condition was serious.”

“The doctors refused to admit my daughter and instead, they referred us to private hospitals. But when I took her to a private hospital close to our house, they couldn’t even examine her well. They just gave us more injections which have not reduced the fever. My daughter’s temperature often rises to frightening level, with frequent vomiting and she could not sleep at night”.

Hadiza said, adding that, “I don’t know what to do now, but it is clear that unless this strike is called off, many people who cannot afford private hospitals may not survive to see the end of the strike.”

Another woman, who gave her name as Samira, said when her 2-year-old daughter first developed a severe fever, she took her to a private hospital, where she was diagnosed with malaria and she was given an injection.

“After we returned home, the fever appeared to have subsided but in the evening, my daughter’s body became so hot that she could not stand up. So, I took her back to the private hospital, where the doctor said she would be admitted but we had to deposit N20, 000,” Samira narrated.

She said: “My husband struggled to get the N20, 000 and the doctors gave more injections to my daughter and put her on IV fluid. The little girl managed to sleep through the night and was discharged the following day after her condition seemed to have improved. We bought additional drugs of N10, 000 but when we returned home the fever
returned seriously.”

“I took her to the AKTH where she was promptly re-admitted for 24 hours. The doctors treated her well but there are no nurses or pharmacists, so we have to go out and buy the drugs at higher cost.

The hospital charges N250 for blood test but we paid N2, 500 at a private laboratory near the hospital,” Samira further narrated.

It was learnt that in the absence of other supporting health workers, resident doctors have become overwhelmed at the hospital, as they had to administer injections, set IV fluids, monitor dosage of drugs periodically and even sweep the hospital floors.

Patients who visit the hospital in critical conditions during late hours usually couldn’t get prompt attention as a result of the unavailability of the hospital’s dispensaries, while the private pharmacies normally close by 10:00pm.

Kano Chronicle gathered that the patients who suffer from the JOHESU strike the most include those with kidney diseases and hepatitis who require regular dialysis.

A health official who asked not to be named told our correspondents that since after commencement of the industrial action, at least four patients who needed dialysis but could not get it due to the partial closure of the dialysis unit at AKTH had died.

The official explained that AKTH was the only hospital in the state that offered the cheapest dialysis service at about N13,000 per session, warning that many other patients needing the service might die because they could not afford the cost of dialysis at private facilities.

Other patients with serious health conditions who attend clinics for check-ups on a regular basis such as those with sickle cell anemia, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, cancer and tuberculosis have been living in perpetual fear since the strike commenced.

“It is sad that the health workers on strike do not understand the situation of patients in this hospital. In fact, most of them do not want the doctors to continue working. Sometimes they go and ransack our offices and leave them in disarray in order to prevent us from attending to patients,” said a doctor, who opted to be anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the issue.

“I think government needs to talk with the unions in order to find a solution to this crisis because everybody, even we the doctors, are suffering. We have to do most of their jobs in addition to our own. It’s demoralizing,” he said.

Worried by the situation, the Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi ll had last week called on the management of the hospital and leadership of JOHESU to sheath their swords and end the strike.

Following the emir’s intervention, the union allowed three critical units of the hospital namely dialysis, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and retainer-ship to operate despite the strike.

However, the Vice Chairman of the JOHESU, AKTH chapter, Comrade Tijjani Abdu said the union allowed the three units to operate in honor of the emir, while on its part, the management did not honor the emir’s intervention, as according to him “it neither address their problems nor invite them for discussion about the strike.”

Asked about their demands, Abdu explained that their demands were numerous but the major ones among them include shortage of manpower, expansion of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit of the hospital and staff promotion.

“We have been battling with the issue of manpower shortage in the hospital. A single health worker in this hospital is doing the work of 5-6 personnel and despite the bulky of work our members are doing, they are not been promoted even if they passed the promotional examination. The management can even issue a staff with a certificate congratulating him/her on his/her promotion but the promotion would not be implemented.

“As a result of this, many staffs are stagnant at some levels without moving to the next level and it is very sad. Some of them had been on certain levels for many years now and our Chief Medical Director, Professor Aminu Zakari doesn’t care about their plights.”

He lamented that the management of the hospital had never invited them for a meeting concerning the strike while their counterparts in Katsina, Sokoto and Nasarawa states when their emirs intervened, the managements of the affected hospitals sat with the unions and ended the strike.

When contacted, the Deputy Director, Public Relations Department of the hospital, Alhaji Aminu Inuwa, said the chief medical director was invited to Abuja for a meeting with minister of health over the strike, but unfortunately the meeting did not hold due to some
reasons.

Inuwa, therefore, said the management would meet with the leadership of the union to discuss the way forward regarding the strike, saying the management of the hospital was equally concern about the condition patients find themselves due to the strike.

On the manpower shortage in the hospital, Inuwa confirmed that the hospital needs more staff to carter for the demands of the increasing number of patients patronizing the hospital. However, he said the management of the hospital was up and doing to secure approval from the federal government to recruit additional personnel.

“The hospital presently needs additional 200 nurses. We put our budget request for additional manpower but it was not approved. We hope it will be considered in this year’s budget and once it is captured, we will recruit additional personnel.

“The hospital has lost many staff due to Boko Haram insurgency. Many others have secured transfer out of Kano, while some have retired and we have not replaced them,” he said.