The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Basil Nwankwo, on behalf of the management of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojuckwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, has appealed to the striking doctors under the umbrella of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), to embrace dialogue in pressing for their demands.
The CMD made the appeals yesterday, at his office, in Amaku, Awka, while speaking to journalists on the recent promotion of about 500 staff of the teaching hospital.
According to him, the government has met all the demands of MDCAN and the management was also doing all things possible to make sure that the COUUTH has seamless operations since all things needed for the effective operation of the teaching hospital have been provided by the state government.
“The better condition of service has been approved as promise and the government has also approved their salary packages which is one of their major demands.
Also, the state Government has provided equipment for effective operations in the teaching hospital.
He, however, disclosed that the state government approval to better welfare package and working condition are predicted on increase revue generation of the teaching hospital, saying that staff need to step up action in the IGR of the teaching hospital to enable them to meet up the increasing demands of welfare packages and others.
He urged them to maintain the already existing healthy relationship with the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano and the hospital management.
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“The CMD observed that though the struggle has taken a long time, only a return to a roundtable discussion can end the differences”
Since my assumption as the CMD of the teaching hospital, I have never had any quarrel with my staff including my colleagues, the medical consultants, I believe there is no end in talking, until the solution comes. So I am appealing to MDCAN members, particularly, Dr Chukwudi Okani and Prof. Obiora Ejiofor its chairman and secretary to call off the strike, for the sake of our people, he added.
Meanwhile, the MDCAN has insisted that it would only call off the strike when they have concrete evidence that the government has approved the better condition of services to them.
The chairman of the Association, Dr.Chukwudi Okani who also spoke with our correspondent in his office in Awka, said that they were not interested in calling off the strike until the government meet their demands concretely.
He said they have not heard or seen anything positive in the direction of the government or the management to call off the ongoing strike.
According to him, the MDCAN is not happy with the CMD style of management, urging the governor to call the CMD to order so as to move the teaching hospital forwards.
He said the CMD is running the affairs of the institution with impunity and does not listen to better logic or reason, stressing that under such circumstance thing cannot work well.
He also accused the CMD of mismanaging the institution because he lacks the cognate experience to pilot the affairs of the teaching hospital.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that members of the union have been on an indefinite strike action since November 30, 2019, to demand improve working condition, especially salary and provisions of working facilities in the teaching hospital, among others.
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