We Can Do Better!!!

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Nigeria is no stranger to strike actions. We see them almost every few months. From time to time, members of one industry or another go on strike. We’ve seen week-long strikes, month-long strikes… and the list goes on. At this point, there is no industry in Nigeria that has not gone on strike.

From teachers to doctors and other health practitioners, they’ve all gone on strike. Hell, even pilots and the people in the aviation industry have also gone on strike. Non-academic staff in schools have gone on strike as well. Nobody is safe from this plague called a strike action.

But then, in their defense, the strike is never the first choice of action. They only get to that point where other measures of communication have gone ignored. These are people who need certain resources to do their jobs well, but the government just doesn’t provide them. No matter how many times they call for it, or how often they try to ask nicely for these things, they simply don’t get it.

And in a desperate bid to get the government to grant their wishes, they go on strike. Suspending all activities until they come to a reasonable explanation. During my lifetime, I’ve been a victim of multiple strike actions. I was waiting for admission into Junior Secondary School when the N.U.T in Lagos did their strike that almost lasted a year. And by the time it was over and I started school, a good part of it had gone by.

I was also in a higher institution when ASUP and ASUU went on strike, after the COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world. The pandemic and the strike caused me to waste an extra year in school. But that was during my ND. Thankfully, there was no strike during my HND days, although there were constant threats of it. But it never bore any fruit.

So, as I said, strike is a part of us. And when it comes to the medical field, I can understand why they’ll feel the need to go on strike. Lack of resources. They cater to so many people, yet their equipment and tools are subpar. And even worse, they’re not paid what they deserve. They’re paid so poorly and the system doesn’t really care about them. That’s why our best doctors end up migrating out of the country.

This is because nothing seems to work in the country. Having a job as a doctor in Nigeria would stress you out and frustrate you, due to the meager pay and the high cost of living. But then, if you’re rich enough to open your hospital, the system and loops you’d have to go through will also frustrate you. The entire industry just needs a total revamping.

But then, will strike solve anything? While I feel it may solve the problem, it would come at a great cost. Governments hate strikes because it affects the economy in a major way, and in the medical world, it has even graver consequences. Doctors on strike means that sick people don’t get treated, those who were awaiting surgeries would suddenly have to wait. Expectant mothers about to deliver would have to hold on… everything in the hospital would be put on hold until the doctors get their demand.

And what happens? People die. There will always be patients who couldn’t withstand the duration of the strike, and they always end up losing their lives. Which is what makes doctor strikes more dangerous. But then, the doctors also have a right to fight for their rights, aii? They also have families and bills to pay, and they need a conducive working environment and tools to make their work easier. Because when they have good tools, they and their patients will enjoy it. So, can we really blame them when they go on strike?

The real culprit here is the government. Nothing is stopping them from paying doctors their due and providing the right medical equipment. Nothing is stopping them from hiring more doctors to reduce the workload on the current workforce. Nothing is stopping them from investing in the medical sector. But greed won’t let them think that far. Instead, they’re building toll gates and buying billion-dollar solar panels. Nothing that will help the common man.

Nigeria is becoming more and more of a scary place. Going to the hospital now could give you a serious case of PTSD due to the kind of things you see there. Let me not even talk about the non-challant attitude of some of the staff. Just like the police and every other industry in the country, there is a need for a total revamp. Things need to change, and policies need to be updated. Because that’s the only way we can move forward as a people.

We can do better.

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

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_{This post is inspired by the third topic of this week which is Doctors On Strike. Feel free to try it out.}

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_{N.B: All images used in this post are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.}

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