Patients Groan, Seek Alternatives As LASUTH Doctors Down Tools

Frustration and desperation have gripped patients and their relatives at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) as the strike action by doctors has left the facility largely unable to admit new patients, forcing many to seek care at other hospitals.

The strike, which began Monday night, has led to the turning away of new patients.

At the Haematology Unit, Julian Ojonumah said, “This strike is serious. They were not attending to us because the doctors are on strike. They have even returned our cards to us.

An older man who journeyed from Ibafo, Ogun State, shared his harrowing experience. “It is stressful to come from Ibafo for a health matter and have no doctor to attend to me. I heard doctors are on strike, and this is my first time coming to LASUTH.

‘’You can imagine someone coming from Ibafo, Ogun State, for the first time and only to hear that doctors are on strike. Honestly, it’s stressful and disappointing. I’m still hoping that maybe a consultant will see me. A matron told me to wait a little bit to see if a consultant would see me.”

A security officer at the surgical unit confirmed the situation. “We are only discharging patients. We don’t take in patients now because there is no doctor to attend to them.”

Aderonke Philips, a patient relative at the surgical unit, explained that her uncle had been admitted before the strikes began. “No new patients are coming in.

There is one top police officer who was brought here. It took time before they considered him. This is just because no doctor will attend to him. But the sad news is that the police officer still died shortly after he was admitted.”

Pat Alajemba said he was lucky, as his relative was already admitted before the strike commenced, saying, “All the patients coming today were being turned down or referred. Since Monday afternoon, people have not been attended to. Some were referred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), some to Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, or Air Force Hospital, Ikeja, which is the reality.”

The doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH-ARD) had previously revealed that they will commence a three-day total warning strike from Monday night, 15 June, to Friday, 19 June.

The doctors said the reason for the protest is unpaid allowances, stalled construction of residential quarters, and what they described as a slow implementation of welfare measures, which they agreed with the Lagos State government.

Also, after an Ordinary General Meeting (OGM), members expressed dissatisfaction that work on the resident doctors’ quarters has yet to resume despite earlier assurances from relevant authorities and stakeholders.

“The OGM also noted that arrears of promotion-related payments remain unpaid, a situation the state previously attributed to procedural and systemic issues.

President of LASUTH-ARD, Dr Alaba Gabriel Akerele, said the association was deeply concerned about the state government’s repeated delays in fulfilling its promise to increase doctors’ remuneration in line with the pay rises granted by the federal government to doctors in federal institutions.

“In view of the Lagos State Government’s persistent failure to meet our welfare needs and legitimate demands, despite many ultimatums given, the congress hereby resolves to commence a 3 (three)-day total warning strike starting from Monday night, 15 June 2026, to Friday, 19 June 2026.

“Failure of the Lagos State Government to meet all our demands during this warning strike or a few days after the strike may lead to further action by the Congress,” Dr Akerele said.