Strike paralyses activities at UNILORIN teaching hospital
Strike paralyses activities at UNILORIN teaching hospital
September 26, 2012 by Agency Reporter 4 Comments
Medical activities were paralysed on Wednesday atthe University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital following the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by medical and health workers.
The News Agency of Nigeriareports that the union members at UITH did not initially participate in the strike which started on September 18, following several appeals made to them by the hospital’s management.
NAN also reports that the workers’ action followed a circular issued by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, instituting a new directive on the skipping of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure 10.
A visit to the hospital showed that the usually busy wards and out-patientdepartment were devoid of activities, due to the strike.
A resident doctor, who pleaded anonymity, said that many of the patients had been discharged while others were being attendedto by doctors.
He also said the number of those on admission in the hospital had reduced since the strike commenced from more than 400 to less than50 patients daily.
The Chairman, Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and a member of the Joint Action Committee, Alhaji Baba Olowo, confirmed that his members had joined the strike.
Olowo said though the management had been holding meetings with the committee on how to keep the hospital operational, thesituation was beyond the workers’ control.
He appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to address the issues raised by the striking workers andsave residents the ordealsof the strike.
Olowo said that the workerswent on strike because the ministry was not ready to keep to the agreement reached with the union in respect of the skipping of CONHESS 10.
Alhaji Oba Hassan-Kadiri, the spokesman of the hospital, said that the strike was precipitated by many problems.
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