The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, says it has deployed 73 consultants in the hospital to cushion of the effect of the strike by resident doctors on patients.
Dr Jones Taiwo, the Head of Clinical Services (HCS) of the centre, said on Friday in Lokoja that the services of the consultants were being complemented by 32 intern doctors and 33 NYSC doctors.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that pharmacists, dentists, radiologists and other categories of health workers have also been fully mobilised to fill the gap created by the striking resident doctors.
“This has really helped us a lot in keeping the services going on smoothly with minimal strike effects.
“It is only the resident doctors that are on strike, others are working and we are attending to at least 85 per cent of patients that are trooping to the centre.
“There is a directive from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria that one year of the interns should not be interrupted, and this has been strictly obeyed which has also helped us in effective service delivery,” he explained.
The official said that normal laboratory tests were conducted while doctors had been carrying out emergency and scheduled surgeries.
According to Taiwo, the Labour Ward that is always overwhelmed is being manned by consultants.
He said that the management of the hospital had no problem with the resident doctors in the hospital being on strike, saying that they are only complying with a directive from their national body.
The Chairman of the state chapter of NARD, Dr Shola Baoku, is said to be a member of the association’s negotiating team with the Federal Government over the strike.
NAN also reports that normal activities at the FMC are continuing as doctors are seen attending to patients on admission and those at the outpatient unit.