Ongoing strike at Ojukwu Teaching Hospital may become permanent, doctors warn

New information emerged over the weekend, that the indefinite strike embarked upon by members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka, may blow up into a full-scale shutdown of medical services if further preventive steps are not taken by concerned authorities, the striking doctors warned.

This was made known in a statement signed by the MDCAN chairman, Dr Chukwudi Okani, on behalf of its members and made available to Nigerian Tribune in Awka, the Anambra State capital, over the weekend.

It could be recalled that the striking doctors had on November 30, 2019, embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands for payment of enhanced salaries to its members and proper equipment of facilities in the teaching hospital.

However, in the statement, they warned that the ongoing strike might culminate in a total shutdown of activities in the hospital. They cited the negative attitude of the Board management and the Chief Medical Director, Dr Basil Nwankwo, to all their gestures to resolve the crisis.

The Chairman alleged that, for the past 14 months, the CMD has refused to pay members their training fee.
MDCAN also demanded that the Chief Medical Director CMD of Hospital be called to order by the government, especially at this critical period.

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He accused the board and CMD of placing no importance on the personnel that would operate the machine, rather placing importance on the machine.

He said that as it stands now COOUTH has only one consultant Radiologist on the full-time employment list and he wonders how he will cope.

According to him, the board failed to understand one individual cannot handle Ultrasound, CT Scan, X-ray, Mammogram, training of students, training of resident doctors, training of interns and coping with the administrative work as the Head of Department.

He said MDCAN members have made a lot of sacrifices to accept 70% of this template instead of 100% and shall make no further sacrifices.

He said they are not going to accept any manipulations to shortchange them again.

We also feel there are so many hidden facts surrounding this Conditions of Service (CoS) document. It is expedient we see this CoS together with the agreed 70% Revised CONMESS before we can even contemplate suspending this strike” he said.