UCH RESIDENT DOCTORS ISSUES STRIKE NOTICE

Members of Resident Doctors of Nigeria, University College Hospital Ibadan Chapter on Friday, issued a ten days strike notice to the authorities of the hospital over issues ranging from poor working environment, employment of more doctors to poor remuneration of members.

The doctors said they would proceed on total strike unless the management of the hospital paid the arrears of their salaries and employ more doctors to ease the pressure on them.

President of the union, Dr Olusegun Olaopa, while addressing journalist at a press  conference which held at the secretariat of the Association, said the hospital lacked the required number of resident doctors and that the available ones live in dilapidated quarters and in fear of snakes and other reptiles that competed the space with them.

He said: “After the national strike was called off based on understanding with the Federal Government, the UCH management is handling the issue of resident doctors poorly. One of the issues is the employment of more doctors. The hospital continues to postpone plan to employ more doctors despite having a huge shortfall in the quota.

“The doctors cannot run the hospital with their blood. We are 457 in number instead of the recommended 525 doctors. What this means is that we are now doing the work of ward maid in addition to our statutory duties. It is clear that the FG pays subvention to cover 525 doctors so the hospital should employ the balance.

“It is shocking that despite the fact that the FG released money to pay our shortfall of salaries, we have yet to be paid. The FG should come and look at the audit system in the hospital to ascertain what the money was used for. For the past two weeks, our salaries have been released to the hospital by the FG but that money has yet to be paid even though other staff has been paid. We got 72 per cent of our salary in August. This is no more acceptable”

‘We are giving a grace of 10 days to the management to address all the issues raised after which we would go on total strike.

“The lives of people taking care of patients are being endangered by the hospital management. If these issues are not holistically addressed in the next 10 days, we will not have an option than to proceed on total strike. We appeal to the public and government to help us prevail on the management to do the right thing,”

Olaopa lamented that several letters had been written to the management as regards the issues as well as held several meetings but with no result, adding that the failure of the management to resolves the issues at stake has impact negatively on the harmonious working environment at the hospital.

He stated that some structures within the hospital are in bad shape while members of the Association as well patients are being exposed to danger on daily basis due to negligence of the management.