Activities at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Gusau in Zamfara State have ground to a halt as the strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) enters its third month, leaving the once-busy hospital nearly deserted.
A visit by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that a facility that previously operated round the clock and served thousands is now reduced to a shadow of itself, with only a handful of patients seen within the premises.
Investigations showed that only skeletal services are being provided by some staff following the withdrawal of JOHESU workers.
Mohammed Bello, one of the staff, told our correspondent that he and his colleagues had been struggling to keep essential services running.
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"My colleagues and I have been working tirelessly to save the lives of patients who come in for treatment," he said, "But there are facilities far beyond our reach, and it is unfortunate."
Some patients have expressed frustration over the absence of key medical personnel. Musa Sani, who came seeking treatment, said he was turned back because the laboratory staff were unavailable.
"I came to see a doctor, but I was told my issue couldn't be handled because the lab staff were on strike," he lamented.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday, the hospital's spokesman, Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed that the prolonged strike had severely crippled operations, with over 70 percent of services shut down.
"The hospital would have been completely closed if not for the efforts of locum staff attending to patients with serious health concerns," Adamu stated.
