Doctors’ Strike: Spinal Cord Patient Appeals to FG to Rescue Vulnerable Patients

By Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki

An Ebonyi-born, Anambra-based disc jockey and spinal cord injury patient, Andrew Chukwuleta Okemiri, has appealed to the Federal Government and health authorities across the country to urgently intervene in the ongoing doctors’ strike, warning that the industrial action is worsening the suffering of vulnerable patients who rely on continuous medical care. In a letter addressed to the Federal Government, the Minister of Health, and State Commissioners for Health, Okemiri called for swift dialogue and resolution of the dispute to enable doctors return to work and resume treatment for patients battling life-threatening conditions. He stressed that individuals living with spinal cord injuries require regular physiotherapy and close medical supervision to prevent complications and maintain mobility. Okemiri explained that he lacks the financial capacity to seek advanced treatment abroad as earlier recommended by medical specialists, noting that access to local physiotherapy services remains his only hope while he awaits possible assistance. He expressed concern that the disruption of services has left many patients unable to continue rehabilitation and other essential treatments. Recounting his ordeal, Okemiri said he sustained a severe spinal cord injury on December 4, 2020, after an attack by unknown assailants while returning from work with a friend. The incident according to him, left him paralyzed from the legs, forcing him to undergo treatment in several health facilities, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Memfys Hospital Enugu, St. Joseph Hospital Adazi Nnukwu, and currently the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) where he has not received treatment since December,2025 due to the prolonged strike. He lamented that the prolonged healthcare disruption has compounded the challenges faced by patients with chronic medical conditions, adding that financial hardship has further complicated his recovery journey. According to him, specialists had recommended further treatment abroad estimated at about ₦4.5 million, a cost he described as far beyond his reach. Beyond his personal experience, the disc jockey noted that many other patients are silently suffering due to limited access to hospitals during the strike. He urged authorities to prioritize negotiations with the striking doctors and implement measures that would safeguard patients whose lives depend on uninterrupted medical attention. While commending President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health for efforts aimed at improving Nigeria’s healthcare system, Okemiri called for urgent intervention to restore normal services nationwide. He also appreciated Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, for his commitment to healthcare and welfare, and appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, organizations, and stakeholders to extend support to spinal cord injury patients facing hardship amid the ongoing healthcare crisis.