By Asmau Ahmad
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Gombe State Chapter, has called on members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) in the state, to suspend its strike and attend to victims of recent bomb blasts in the state. Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr. Adamu Danladi made the call while speaking with newsmen in Gombe on Sunday.
He said doctors in the state had been making frantic efforts to attend to victims, but that the work was overwhelming as they were performing the jobs of almost every health worker. According to him, members of the union have been working overnight, performing surgeries on the victims and other patients at the Specialists Hospital, Gombe.
Danladi refuted a report in one of the National Dailies to the effect that victims of the blasts were not being treated at the hospital because doctors were on strike.
“All the patients in the hospital now are being attended to by the doctors as all other workers in the health sector are on strike.
“We are not happy for the report which said we are on strike because we are the only health workers that are performing our duties.
“Actually we are overwhelmed and we want everybody to come and assist the victims.
“They (victims) are our brothers and sisters, so we should come and assist,” he said.
Also commenting on the issue, Consultant Surgeon, Dr Adesina Opoola, said the victims were received and attended to by all doctors up to 2 p.m., but said they needed more hands as the work was overwhelming.
