Resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-araba will today, Monday 29, commence an indefinite strike following failure of the hospital management to resolve the lingering crisis after they called off their three-day warning strike.
According to the doctors, the painful decision was taken to press home their demands over the non implementation of the skipping allowance which was part of the agreements reached with the Federal Government on December 16, 2013 and January 4, 2014.
Confirming the commencement of the industrial action, President of the association, Dr. Ramon Moronkola, described non implementation of the skipping allowance by the hospital as unilateral breach of agreements as directed by the Federal Government.
Moronkola, who announced that the strike will commence at 8:00a.m today, urged Nigerians to blame the Chief Medical Director of the hospital for the strike.
“We did our best to avoid the strike. For more than two months now we have been on it. At a point, when we were pushed to the wall, we gave seven days ultimatum and there after 21 days ultimatum but the management of the institution failed to utilised the period.
“We embarked on a three-day warning strike yet nothing was done. It is really a painful decision but we have to do it. Management has failed by not using the opportunity of the period of ultimatum. We are hoping that they will come back to the negotiating table to stop the strike from dragging for too long,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to demand the reasons why doctors at LUTH are on strike, adding that “People should ask questions on what is causing the strike. The CMD should be taken to task. If it is his hospital he will not like the strike to go on without resolving the problems. It is unfortunate where we found ourselves today.”
However, in a swift reaction to the expected strike, the LUTH management warned that it will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt patients care even as it vowed to ensure that all clinics remained open for patients.
The Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, warned that the hospital would not tolerate attempt to disrupt patients care and vowed to ensure that all clinics remained open for patients.
Bode, who said the management had continued to appeal to the doctors not to go on strike, described the decision of the doctors to embarked on what he called “ill-advised strike” at this time as unnecessary.
“I think for now we should be considerate and not to be insensitive to what is happening around us.” Their demand for a long promised allowance is still there on the table and they should explore all non confrontational means to dialogue with government who owe them and promised them a long time ago. A new government has just come in; it is yet to appoint a minister.”
Warning that nobody should disrupt services at the hospital, he said: “Anybody that wants to strike should stay at home and not disturb patients care,” adding that already, the hospital has made plans ahead to ensure that all clinics will run and operations will take place. “We will not close down emergency services.
“Other workers will be at work. There will be services in LUTH. Doctors who want to come and train should come. Resident doctors should not be insensitive to the plight of Nigerians who require their services.
“They are using Nigerians had earned money to pay their salaries and these are tax payers’ money. Any group that wants to strike at this challenging time should stay at home and not disturb others who want to work.”
Assuring them that government would definitely pay them one day, he stated that he is not stopping anybody from expressing their fundamental human rights but the government who pay you your salaries and allowances and promised you must pay you one day.
“We have appealed and still appealing to them and to choose a better time to do certain things. Things are a bit challenging in the country and we should not be insensitive to that. If they must go on strike and they don’t want to come to work, I cannot go and drag them from their homes but the only thing is that those that want to work should not be stopped from working.
Anybody that wants to strike should stay at home and not disturb patients care.” He urged patients not to stay away from the hospital as services are open for them.
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