Pregnant Woman Dies As Doctors Embark On Warning Strike In Nasarawa

A pregnant woman has lost her life following the disruption of services as a result of a 5-day strike embarked by resident doctors at the state government-owned Dalhatu Specialist Hospital in Lafia.

The woman was booked by the hospital for a cesarean session but died while waiting for doctors to attend to her.

The resident doctors commenced the warning strike on Wednesday to pressurise the state government to address issues concerning the welfare of their members.

The strike came after 21 days ultimatum by the Nigerian Medical Association to the state government to address the contending issues or face the consequences of health sector shutdown.

The state chairman of the body, Dr. Peter Attah had listed the contending issues to include non-implementation of promotions for Doctors and Annual Salary increment for over nine years, non-implementation of N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

Others are non-implementation of the reviewed Hazard allowance circular and the accrued 17 Months arrears, High burden of Taxation and inadequate manpower and overwork load.

He said: “added to the challenges is non-promotion of doctors who were employed in 2014 at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia and the Hospital Management Board for the past nine years.”

The deceased pregnant woman’s appointment coincided with the warning strike.

Malam Abubakar Liman, the deceased’s husband, said they decided to stay back at the hospital due to their inability to afford the medical bill at the private hospitals.

He said he had accepted the deaths of his wife and unborn child as act of God, adding that there is nothing anyone can do about what is already destined by the Almighty.

He however, appealed to the state government to urgently meet the demands of the doctors in the interest of the less privileged.