Resident doctors at the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, have commenced an indefinite strike to protest the shortage of medical personnel in the hospital.
The strike followed their resolution at a congress on July 31.
The doctors complained of a gross shortage of manpower, resulting in huge workload following what they termed “a rising exodus of doctors” from the psychiatric hospital.
They claimed, in a statement on Thursday, that the hospital’s Chief Medical Director failed to employ more doctors “to reduce the extreme workload on the few doctors that are left to cater to the multitude of patients who throng the hospital on a daily basis.”
They claimed that their plight was compounded by poor condition of service.
They said, “About 40 doctors exited the hospital within the past five years, yet only 15 doctors have been employed within this same period.
“This has created a severe manpower crisis that has affected service delivery to patients. The hapless doctors are consequently overworked, succumbing to stress-related illnesses.” (punch)