By Abdulfatah Babatunde
The Medical Guild has cried out over the deplorable condition of healthcare workers in Lagos State having recorded 15 deaths within six months.
The Guild, therefore, appealed to the Lagos State Government to prioritise the health and lives of healthcare workers.
TheNewsZenith quotes the Guild chairman, Dr Sa’eid Ahmad, as announcing the death of doctors at a news conference in Lagos.
The news briefing is ahead of the Guild’s Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, which begins on Sunday in Lagos.
The Medical Guild is an association of medical doctors under the employment of the state government.
The chairman lamented that the outgoing year has been challenging for guild members.
“This is due to ongoing co-morbidities exacerbated by manpower bleed.
It is due to severe overwork among members at service points leading to the death of some members.
“The loss is probably brought to its peak with tragic event of the collapsed elevator at General Hospital, Odan, Lagos.
Read Related News:
Doctors seek pay rise give FG 2 weeks deadline
Salary: Zamfara detects 200 ghost medical doctors
“The collapsed elevator claimed the life of our young colleague, the late Dr Vwaere Diaso,” Ahmed said.
According to him, end-on-end demises of some additional colleagues, sometimes, multiple over a few days following Diaso’s death.
“The sad events serve as a wake-up call to intensify vigilance towards self-care.
“It has also deepened our level of engagement with the government to prioritise the health and lives of healthcare workers.”
To address the situation, Ahmad said that the guild, through a series of emergency General Assemblies and consultations, developed a comprehensive position paper.
The paper, he noted, drew the attention of the state government to urgently salvage the spiralling health of the health workers.
“This document has formed the cornerstone of highest level policy discussions with the government of Lagos state on behalf of our members.
On the conference, the chairman said the week-long activities would feature medical outreach, a cancer awareness campaign and lecture series among others.
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
