Abia doctors make good their threat to shut down health facilities over 24 months’ salary arrears, begin strike 

Doctors have shut down hospitals across Abia State to protest the 24-month salary arrears owed doctors and other staff of the Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba (ABSUTH); and 13 months owed their counterparts at the Health Management Board (HMB).

 

The shutdown affecting both public and private hospitals, according to the doctors, is indefinite.

 

The doctors, last week, barricaded the entrance to the Government House, Umuahia, demanding immediate payment of the backlog of their salaries.

 

They had re-emphasised their earlier threat to shut down all hospitals in the State and proceed on indefinite strike should government remain adamant about their demands.

 

But the doctors who filed out in their numbers chanting solidarity songs for their affected colleagues were snubbed by government and its officias.

 

The State Secretary of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Daniel Ekeleme, vowed that the strike will be total, and indefinite.

 

He said it has already received 98% compliance at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia as doctors stayed away from duty.

 

The NMA scribe vowed that doctors in the State would sustain the measure until the government does the needful.

 

He, however, said the situation could be reviewed as things unfold.

 

Meanwhile, reports say only skeletal services are going on in some of the private hospitals visited by in Umuahia.

 

Patients were observed expressing anger over the development.