Rising from a meeting on Wednesday, the doctors said their lives were being threatened because of the state’s “poor” management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They said they are “totally withdrawing services across board” pending when their grievances are met.

A communique announcing the strike was signed by seven health workers’ associations.

The heads of the association met hours after gunmen broke into the hospital, attacking doctors and other health workers.

Some of those who signed the communique are Nnana Agwu, chairman, Association of Resident Doctors (NARD); Samuel Obajemu, chairman, Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU); Abdulmalik Idris, chairman, National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and John Omoche, chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

Armed men had stormed the hospital on Wednesday morning, vandalising properties and carting away valuables.

The union leaders condemned the attack, saying some equipment such as infrared thermometers, laptops, ATM cards, car keys and two motorcycles, “which are vital in providing care,” were carted away.

They said they may not resume duty until there is adequate security of lives and properties.

Other conditions they gave before returning to work include: validation of COVID-19 status of some staff of the hospital that have been in isolation, provision of COVID-19 testing facilities (PCR machines) and maximum of 20 patients being attended to daily.

Meanwhile, the state police command says it has launched a manhunt for the gunmen that attacked the hospital.

Ede Ayuba, the state commissioner of police, who gave the order when he visited the facility, said the perpetrators will not go unpunished.

He assured the health workers and staff of the hospital of the readiness of the police to guarantee the safety of their lives and property.

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Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Spokesperson, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Akinbiyi explained that the accident which occurred around 12:50 p.m. was caused by excessive speeding and loss of control by the driver.

He said that 10 persons made up of four males, four females and two children were involved in the accident that killed the eight persons leaving a pregnant woman and another person injured.

“We learnt that the Toyota Corolla Sport vehicle was inbound Abeokuta on the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway when the accident happened.

“The driver of the Toyota marked AKD 649 FP, who was drunk and on excessive speed lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a stationery trailer parked on the road.

“Though the driver of the trailer was not in the vehicle when the accident happened, he reported and is presently at Ewekoro Divisional Police Station with the vehicles involved,’’ he said.

Akinbiyi said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the General Hospital Morgue in Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

He said the injured pregnant woman and a boy were receiving medical treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.

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The workers, under the umbrella of joint health sector union comprising all health workers excluding doctors are demanding an immediate enhancement of salaries as applicable with the doctors, full implementation of the circular affecting its members in the medical laboratory proffession without singling out any members and immediate correction of misnormal of placing Health practitioners under nursing services instead of community medicine department.

Other demands include an autonomy of laboratory from the claws of pathologists by restoring the laboratory services department which has to be headed by a medical laboratory scientist, full payment of call duty allowance with associated arrears to scientific officers/technologists in Neuro Diagnostic (EEG) unit of the centre.

They are also demanding full payment of shift allowance to affected members, full payment of uniform allowance to members in nursing services, payment of end of the year package of not less than N30,000 to its member.

According to Otunba Tiamiyu Taiwo, FMC Joint Health Sector Union Public Relation Officer, the workers have resolved to push on with the strike indefinitely until their demands are fully met and implemented by the hospital management.

New Mail correspondent in Abeokuta gathered that the strike action which commenced at noon, Thursday is still ongoing as at press time.

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Shehu Sulaiman, the Chairman, National Union of Allied and Health Professionals, FMC Ebute Meta chapter, disclosed this in an interview he granted the News Agency in Lagos.

Sulaiman alleged that the hospital’s management was unfair to the workers of the hospital in the areas of welfare.

“The management has been unfair in the treatment of workers who are not doctors and nurses in this hospital.

“We are being denied of our welfare packages in spite of several consultations we have had with the hospital management.

“We have been marginalised in this hospital for too long, but, we have started the course, we will not relent until the management accedes to our demands,” he said.

Sulaiman listed some of their grievances to include: anti-staff policies by the management arising from non-granting of the statutory three months’ leave for the retiring staff of the hospital.

According to him, others are non-payment of the call-duty allowances to the health workers, which were being enjoyed by doctors and nurses.

“Non-payment of promotion arrears since 2013 till date, which has been paid to our colleagues in other Federal Government-owned hospitals including the National Orthopaedic, Igbobi, Lagos and lack of staff training for three years.

“Non-availability of drugs for workers having been registered under the NHIS scheme. We are being given only common drugs like paracetamol.

“Differential in payment of retirement contributive pension scheme, the amount deducted from our salaries is at variance with the amount being remitted to the retirement scheme.

Also, they complained of. “Dilapidating infrastructural facilities in the hospital, saying the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital is at the brink of collapse with no attention given to it.

“This has led to many patients leaving the hospital for another one with better facilities. Our maternity section can only register paltry 10 pregnant women per week because we don’t have facilities to keep them,” he said.

Also speaking, Achonwa Julius, the Chairman, Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria, FMC, Ebute Meta branch, urged Nigerians to prevail on the FMC management to grant their demands.

Achonwa, who is also an executive member of JOHESU, explained that the union was fighting for the benefits of all including the patients coming to the hospital.

“We are fighting for professional uplift. Everybody should be given a level playing field. We are the ones in the middle of the storm; we don’t want redundancy in this hospital.

“The union is also demanding for an immediate release of the workers’ list due for promotion this year,” he said.

In his reaction, Henry Etim, the hospital Head of Corporate Affairs, said that the management was already addressing the issues raised by the unions.

“Management is consulting with the union on how to solve the issues they raised and we will find amicable solutions to them.

“On the non-payment of promotion areas, this is actually out of our responsibility. It has to do with the budget office. It has the responsibility for it. The management has also been paying the call-duty allowance which the unions are agitating for anybody on duty,” he said.

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH-ARD) chapter, had on Monday given the hospital management a seven-day ultimatum to pay its outstanding skipping allowances or down tools

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