Tuesday, 20 October 2009 00:00

The industrial action embarked by the health workers in Adamawa State may have marred the efforts of the federal government to interrupt the spread of polio in the country.

No immunization exercise took place in the state as activities in hospital were paralyzed due to the strike.

It would be recalled that the government had initiated the immunization plus days (IPDs) as an avenue to capture and immunize all under five children across the country against child killer diseases and polio in particular.

Daily Trust who was in the state to monitor the immunization exercise discovered that the health workers' strike in Adamawa state had indeed paralyzed all activities in public hospitals and other health facilities forcing patients to seek medical attension elsewhere..

The absence of the health workers made it difficult for any preparation to be made concerning the immunization exercise since health personel were not at their duty post.

Comrade Jerimaya Nyekwor, chairman medical and health workers' union leader speaking to trust via phone said that aside from doctors, most of the 7000 workers, including nurses, specialists and administrators began an indefinite strike on 25 June to protest the suspension of an improved salary structure by the state government.

Jerimaya Nyekwor said: "The government should take responsibility for all the people who are suffering from sicknesses as a result of the ongoing strike because they caused it. Deaths in the recent cholera outbreak could have been avoided were health workers not on strike."

"We will wait for all of our demands to be met for every last health worker before resuming work, the government has not taken us seriously. Enough is enough."

This unfortunate situation did not only suspend the immunization exercise but has also caused tension and fear among patients seeking health care.

Jonathan Filibus a hypertensive patient said, "I'm praying that the strike is called off so that I can go back to hospital and continue receiving treatment. I fear I may suffer if the strike is prolonged because my case needs specialized care."

Fear of uncertainty now grief parents, as this is the second time immunization exercise is been suspended due to strike action by health workers.

The strike had forced the state government to suspend all immunization exercises earlier scheduled, as cholera re-emerges in southern parts of the state. The Immunization drive, due to start on 10 -13 Oct, is part of a sweeping campaign against the six child killer diseases across the country.

Confirming the suspension, the state commissioner for Health Dr Zainab Baba Kwanchi said ,"It is the strike that has pushed the government to postpone indefinitely the immunization campaign,"

The commissioner however was emphatic that as soon as the striking workers call-off the strike, immunization exercise would be conducted simultaneously across the state.

She therefore stressed the need for the striking health workers to sheath their swords and resume to work with a view to saving lives.

The Health commissioner added the health ministry did not want to take chances, saying "Health personnel are trained and ready, but given the strike we could not take the risk of launching the campaign; everything must be in place and there must not be disruptions."

She pleaded with parents and other stakeholders to help protect children, who are too young to protect themselves from these devastating but preventable ailments. This is by getting them vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases in line with the national programme for immunization for routine, supplemental and catch-up immunization.

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