Activities at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dala, Kano State have been badly affected because nurses have gone on a warning strike.
The strike started earlier this week. Many patients, especially those who came from outside Kano State, have left the hospital to find treatment somewhere else.
A hospital worker, who didn’t want to be named, told Reporters on Thursday that some patients asked to be discharged so they could get medical help in other places.
He explained that since some patients are not from Kano, they preferred to leave the hospital and find care elsewhere.
He added that most of the patients who left could afford treatment at private hospitals, but those who couldn’t pay are still staying in the hospital.
He also said the hospital is trying to take care of the patients who are too sick to leave.
He asked the Federal Government to help by meeting the nurses’ demands. He said this would help save patients who cannot afford private hospital treatment.
He warned that if the government does not take action, the nurses might start a full strike after this warning strike ends.
The hospital, which used to be very busy, is now quiet. There are fewer people and vehicles around since the nurses stopped working.
Attempts to contact Abubakar Isa, the local chairman of the nurses’ union at the hospital, were not successful. His phone was not reachable at the time of reporting.
