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Bunmi Yekini
Two people have been injured as the crisis between the management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) LUTH branch deepens.
The hospital’s management has raised a security alert following repeated invasion of the premises by unknown individuals whose intention is to foment more troubles.
Chairman Medical Advisory Committee of the institution, Dr. Olufemi Fasanmade raised the security alert after two persons were attacked by suspected hired hoodlums.
According to Fasanmade who spoke through a phone conversation, “The group, acting under the directives of Dr. Sekumade, one of the trainees, brazenly threatened senior officials of the hospital in the name of the Association of Resident Doctors – ARD (LUTH Branch).”
The Chairman Medical Advisory Committee stated further that “The group has been holding secret meetings in the ARD office at the Marble Floor of LUTH. The Management of the hospital has given ARD a six month notice to quit the premises over six months ago.”
On alternative arrangement for a meeting place for ARD, Fasanmade said, “There are over six free locations ARD could use within LUTH and the management sent a reminder and seven-day notice while it made effort to repossess the premises used as ARD Secretariat.”
“Resident doctors mobilised their members and other unknown persons to lay siege to the secretariat inflicting bodily harm to the Security agents and Nigerian Civil Defence Service staff leading to facial bruises of one and stabbing of on the other,” Fasanmade claimed.
“The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at our Accident and Emergency Department. The Nigeria Police were thereafter invited to restore law and order and prevent damage to Federal Government property. By the time the police arrived they had destroyed the door locks on the secretariat and manned it with their members and other paid thugs,” he added.
Dr. Fasanmade continued on phone that “The Resident Doctors are making different demands chains and the one that they would love to have most is the removal of the Chief Medical Director – CMD.”
“Because they feel he is not ‘playing balls’. He is not acceding to their request, they have very frivolous request. Every now and then they want to go on strike. There was a time they were asking for sleeping allowance and relativity which the government had not given. Their current request is that one of their members who is undergoing
disciplinary action, they want the disciplinary action to be discontinued,” he explained.
He continued that “What infuriated the Resident Doctors the more was the ‘No work, No pay’ order of the Federal Government. The health sector has been besieged by strikes for so long, the government finally implemented the ‘No work, No pay’ last year that itself is causing problems.”
He also said that as a responsible Management, the Committee cannot allow such threats to create widespread chaos to be carried out. For the security of lives and property in LUTH.
“The Marble Floor of the Hospital shall remain only a thoroughfare to all members of staff and all who may wish to go to other places within the Hospital. The ARD office at the LUTH Marble Floor which has become a security threat shall remain shut for security reasons and no gathering is allowed at the Marble Floor. ARD has been advised to
confine its activities to the ARD Lounge under the Labour Ward,” he concluded.
Mr. Kehinde Adegoke is the former Chairman JOHESU, LUTH Chapter and currently, a member of Trade Union Congress warning against illegality. “The man at the helms of affair should obey the rule of law. He is 62 years old and should step aside and allow those who are within the rule of law continue to spearhead the leadership of the hospital.”
According to the Comrade Oluwayemi Adelaja the chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives LUTH chapter, the working environment is not conducive. “It is an hostile environment, we are tired of this management because we don’t have what to work with, our members are not motivated. What they have been saying is propaganda.” He however advises the Federal Government. “The Federal Government should send a team of investigative journalists to LUTH to beam their searchlight on LUTH and confirm whether what we’ve been saying since all these days are true.”
In his own comment, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, some workers in the hospital are responsible for disrupting the peace of the hospital.
“About a dozen of our workers in LUTH tried to infiltrate the hospital premises by inviting miscreants, strange people from outside with the sole purpose of asking them to come and cause trouble in LUTH we will not allow it,” he vowed.
Meanwhile, President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Adebayo Sekunmade wants the Federal Government to carry out thorough investigation on LUTH. He also laments the poor working condition in LUTH.
“There are no gloves to work with, needles and syringes are not available. Sometimes you are attending to patient bed by bed and there is no water to wash your hand after attending to patients. Federal Government. should also come and find out whether we are telling lies. Facts are going to speak for themselves,” he said, adding that, “After investigation they can now decide whether the management is doing well or whether they should continue, or whether a need to effect a change to ensure that this place is made safe for Nigerians who are tax payers.”
