Healthcare services in Kaduna State, North-West Nigeria are grounded following the 7-day warning strike embarked upon by the workers to protest the deduction of their salaries by the State Government to fund the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
The hospitals are empty as the health workers have deserted their duty post. The patients who were at the state health facilities had to return to seek medical attention elsewhere due to the strike.
Saleh Ilya is suffering from stomach ache, he came all the way from Kujama about 13 kilometers away to access healthcare at the General Hospital Sabo, but no one is on hand to attend to him. Like Saleh, Joshua Steven is also feeling the heat of the strike. His wife has just been delivered of a baby through caesarian section but they had to be discharged even though she has not fully recovered.
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State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Steven Kache described the situation as sympathetic, stressing that the demand of health workers is reasonable.
The State Government has however threatened to sack any health worker who refuses to go to work, but the Union says there will be total strike if government fails to reverse its decision after the 7-day warning strike.
On Friday, the health workers in Kaduna State embarked on strike over compulsory deduction of 25 percent of their salaries by the State Government
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
