The Strike of Life

So you may or not be aware of the doctor’s strike involving Lagos state resident physicians. The ongoing strike is separate from the more well-known ASUU strike (public university strike) which is affecting medical students and other students across the nation. The ASUU strike has resulted in public university students being out of school for over 3 months and counting.

Nevertheless I digress. The doctors strike started the day I landed in Nigeria (my luck, right?) and is still ongoing. When I asked the doctor's when they thought the strike was going to end, they just laughed...so I'm not too sure how to take that response --> --> -->

The doctors are demanding for "non-skipping of salary grade level CONHESS 1O," along with a few other requests. The overall gist of it, is that they are demanding for payment of salary; some doctors have recieved 10-20% of the salary they are supposed to recieve or have not recieved any payment of salary at all for over 6 months. 

The strike or “the strike of life” as I’ve affectionately named it does interrupt my proposed research, because the hospital I am supposed to be carrying out my research in is a federal hospital, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). As a result, I have been trying to keep busy by conducting preliminary research (which has been slow because internet is slow) and canvassing the city for potential alternative places I can conduct my research. 

Through my random searches, I discovered the Sickle Cell Foundation located in Surulere, though it is also associated with a federal hospital (LUTH), it is considered a separate entity and thus has not been shut down due to the strike.

Soooooo though the strike of life continues, the Sickle Cell Foundation in Surulere may be an answer to my stagnant research attempts. As the days go by and Lagos continues to stylishly throw me her many curve balls, I am learning to adjust and make due with what is available.