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HEALTH INTERACTIVE WITH DR AMINU MAGASHI Letter to Mr. Adams Oshiomole As the national president of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) who has led numerous strikes in Nigeria to challenge the increment of pump price of petroleum products, with the recent one that was called up on Friday, 11th June, 04, I feel compelled to write this open letter to you with the aim of revisiting the strikes you led to look at some salient issues and areas selfishly overlooked by you and other comrades across the country all in the name of fighting for the common man. My letter is not in any way challenging the legality or other wise of the strikes, neither to side with you or the government of the day, but however, my condemnation of all the strikes you led in the past has to do with attitude, conduct, ethics and decorum regarding the protests which were apparently lacking. As you may know that even in a war, there are ethics and etiquettes binding such to ensure mutual and common approach among the warring parties .If you are only leading your comrades in the labour force , perhaps I will not bother to bore you with this letter, but you always purportedly claimed to be leading for the entire masses in the country, the same masses that your action or inaction either by act of commission or omission, their rights are being perpetually abused during so many strikes that were supposed to fight for them, what an irony. During the last strike, in many states of the federation, labour leaders as part of the celebration of success, were reportedly commenting that even public hospitals were closed to stand still, that was equally a yard stick of success or failure , labour leaders under various affiliate unions were seen locking up operation theaters, accident and emergency units of public hospitals and ensuring that even the Samaritans and selfless conscious people among them were not allowed to attend to patients who were dire in need. In some places, my colleagues told me that a child was receiving blood transfusion and a dedicated unionist to the cause of strike insisted that such procedure must stop, other bizarre happenings and attributes is to discharge children that are being fed through Naso -Gastric Tube or on Intravenous Infusion. In one of the strike that you led, I witnessed a labour leader at Murtala Mohd Specialist Hospital In Kano who visited the hospital to ensure total compliance, while we were exchanging words, a patient was rushed in labour under convulsive fits who needed urgent resuscitation and delivery or caesarian section, the eclamptic ward was closed, also theater, labour room and admission room all under key and lock. We helplessly witnessed the hapless woman being referred to a private clinic which may end of charging from N 30 to N 50, 000, 00, probably that was the entire income of that patient per year. In essence, she was sent out to go and die with her unborn baby miserably, what a wasted life. The adult group who are seen in public hospitals on daily basis on account of strokes, coma and paralysis due to hypertension, others are rushed on account of complication of Diabetic Mellitus And Asthma, Obstructed And Prolonged Labour, Bleeding, Spontaneous Abortion And Head And Other Body Injuries , all those hapless people who their only succor is to be attended at emergency units of public hospitals are being denied these rights and obligation , all in the name of fighting for their rights through a compromised strikes and at the end, because they are prematurely sent to the life beyond would not be there to enjoy the dividend of strike, if at all such term exits. Mr NLC president, why do you think, I am boring you with these facts, because I am convinced that you were leading a selective strike all along, exempting some sectors to operate because their services will ensure the so called success of the protest nation wide. In one of the strike you led before , you not only accused the Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA ) of biased in balance reporting and airing, but led your members to NTA office and demanded explanation from its former boss, Mr. Ben Murray Bruce, if that sector and other federal and state radio stations were not working or closed down , how would the masses or your members across the nation know about the progress and conduct of the strike, as such media houses are always receiving tacit approval from NLC to carry on with their work .Other sectors that enjoy similar tacit endorsement are the print media, both government and private owned, Nitel and M-tel , NEPA by providing electivity to ensure smooth running and of course GSM operators and their customers whom NLC members happen to be among. And above all private clinics who are cashing in and declaring huge profit courtesy of strike and if by any chance yourself or an NLC member fall sick or sustain injury or happen to be a guest of the police or any security outfit, such will be rush to private clinic for resuscitation and up course you have the money to afford such exorbitant bill. The pitiable and impoverished common man will be the one to suffer because he cannot afford private clinic's bill and since you ordered your men to ensure public hospitals under lock and key, he cannot enjoy such services too, you can see that your masses are between a devil and a deep blue sea and also the strike is not holistic, neither total but highly selective for selfish gain, the social sectors are allowed to run and the most important and protective sector is under lock and key. That is why I mentioned earlier on that your strike must have ethics and decorum and there must be an exemption and human face to ensure that the masses are carried along. Neither am I saying that public hospitals should operate fully, No, the administrative organ, out patient departments and clinics can all be locked but my concern are the emergency units to be fully operational ,as they are the nerve centre for the common man to have solace and to equally appreciate what you and your colleagues are doing in his own name. On the part of Medical And Health Workers Union And National Association Of Nurses And Midwives, which are affiliates of NLC, they must review their agreement and affiliation with NLC , as we, in the health sectors are bounded by oaths and ethics and our first priority is our patient. I strongly advocate to them to always exempt emergency units and the staff working there from joining the protest. On the part of the reading public, civil societies and advocates , this is the time to proffer solution and provide advocacy through consultation and interaction with labour leaders to ensure that they are fully educated on this subject matter and to appreciate the significant and the no -go- area nature of emergency health services and lastly I wish to conclude that sooner or later, time will come when the common man will appreciate and understand that most of the things we fight on his behalf , we are just doing it to compromised and impoverished him the more for our selfish gain and interest. Dr Magashi Is The Executive Director Of Community Health And Research Initiative, Kano, Nigeria. |