Patients at Adeoyo State Hospital in Ibadan were discharged on Wednesday, July 30, as nurses began a nationwide strike.
Diaspora Digital Media gathered that the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) had earlier declared a seven-day warning strike.
Their demands include an upward review of shift allowances, improved uniform allowances, and a distinct salary structure for nurses.
They also want increased core duty allowances, more staff recruitment, and the creation of a nursing department at the Federal Ministry of Health.
When reporters visited the hospital on Ring Road, most wards appeared empty.
According to staff, only a few critical patients remained, with no nurses on duty to care for them.
Mr. Adegoke Rahman, whose mother recently had surgery, expressed concern.
He said doctors were attending to her, but no nurses were available.
His mother, who had leg surgery, could not move, yet had to remain in the nearly vacant ward.
Another patient, Mr. Samuel Biyi, visited the hospital to treat a leg wound. However, he said no one treated him, and the pain worsened.
One doctor, who asked not to be named, confirmed that only doctors and some medical staff remained on duty.
While they attended to outpatients, no new admissions were allowed. Patients in urgent need were redirected to private hospitals.
The doctor confirmed that those already admitted had been discharged the day before, citing the ongoing strike.
NANNM’s Oyo State chapter had earlier instructed its members to join the strike.
According to State Secretary Emmanuel Aina, the directive followed an emergency resolution passed by the union’s National Executive Council.
The nurses’ strike has entered full force, with hospital operations disrupted in major cities. The Federal Government has yet to meet their demands, despite appeals to suspend the strike.
For now, public hospitals like Adeoyo are bearing the brunt, while patients face delays and uncertainty.
(NAN).