The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University College Hospital branch has appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on passage of the National Health Act as well as ensuring welfare of doctors in its service.
ARD stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 15 per cent budgetary allocation for health must be strongly considered in the interest of all.
Rising from her 48th Annual General Meeting themed “Legislating health Care: Emerging trends and implications on the common man”, ARD declared the implementation of the National Health Act a panacea to client and provider protection challenges in the health sector.
The chapter President, Dr Olusegun Olaopa while addressing the media at the end of the AGM decried the inadequate provision made for doctors’ welfare at the hospital despite the harsh working environment.
According to him, ‘’the residential quarters of house officers within the hospital is grossly insufficient. The available ones are dilapidated and unworthy of human habitation.”
Olaopa decried a gross shortage of doctors in the hospital, and as such an escalated work burden on the already fatigued and ill motivated doctor workforce.
Aside demanding payment of their full salaries, refund of deductions made in September and the accrued shortfall on their emoluments before the end of the fiscal year, he declared “such unfair, selective and unjust practice of selective underpayment of salaries is stopped forthwith.”
According to him, “only doctors in UCH are paid part salaries despite shouldering the greatest bulk of responsibilities in patient care and sustenance of the institution.
“Such unjust practice is inimical to harmony and fair play in any organisation especially on the background of prevailing harsh economic condition that pervades the country.
“Despite repeated plea to ensure enrolment of our members on the IPPIS, the Federal Government is yet to make definite and tangible effort to capture our members on this payment system.”
Olaopa further called on the management to ensure speedy completion of the abandoned phase 3 of the house officers’ residence and renovation of the dilapidated residential quarters of the house officers and employment of Resident Doctors to fill in vacant spaces to reduce the burden of work which has endangered the health and training or resident doctors.
He also appealed that the management of the hospital to honour the agreement it reached at a stakeholders meeting convened and mediated by the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, in June 2016.
and then