Restore OOUTH autonomy, workers beg Abiodun

ADMINISTRATIVE workers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, to restore the autonomy of the hospital.

The staff had over the weekend, staged a peaceful protest within the hospital premises, calling for the total overhauling of the tertiary health institution established in 1986.

They pointed out that the Edict and Statues that established the hospital had been tampered with by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

The workers expressed worry over the deployment of civil servants from any ministry in the State Civil Service to head administrative positions in the hospital, against what it obtains in other teaching hospitals across the country.

They submitted that the hospital is now being administered by the Ministry of Health and not as a parastatal which is supposed to be administered by a Board of Management.

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The protesters carried placards with you such as “Respect the autonomy and management Board of OOUTH,” “OOUTH is not a ministry but a parastatal”, “The Edict and Statutes establishing OOUTH is sacrosanct and supreme.” “Restore the Organogram of OOUTH in line with other University Teaching hospitals in the country.”

Some of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that their career progression had been blocked by this development of deploying core civil servants to the hospital.

“This hospital has edict and statutes that established it like other teaching hospitals in the country. The immediate past administration jetissoned the edict. The hospital is no longer being run as a parastatal.

“They now deploy civil servants who are not health administrators to the hospital, while those that are administrators are no longer moving up. Our career growth has been tampered with.

“To a large extent, they have disrupted the administrative structure in the hospital and we are not pleased with this development.

The new government should restore the organogram of the hospital.

“The edict that established this hospital is supreme and sacrosanct. Administrative officers in the state civil service are now being posted to the hospital. They have blocked our career progression. They brought administrative officers who have no experience in hospital administration. They have removed the autonomy that we should enjoy. We no longer have a Board of Management.

“If you go to UCH, LUTH and other teaching hospitals in the country, they have their Boards of management. It is no longer the same here at OOUTH. We say no to this. We appeal to Governor Abiodun to look into our case,” they said.

The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr Peter Adefuye, promised the protesters that their grievances would be communicated to the appropriate quarter.

“Your grievances have been noted and they shall be communicated to the appropriate quarters. I commend you for being peaceful with your protest,” the CMD added.