Doctors Protest Non-Payment of 7months Salary Arrears

Caleb, Lagos.
September 2, 2013.

Doctors and other health workers on internship at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, have staged a peaceful protest this morning over unpaid salaries of up to 7 months.

The protesting doctors who are house officers on one year internship at the hospital protested alongside their counterparts who are pharmacists, physiotherapists and other categories of intern health workers.
They carried placards with various inscriptions such as ‘A hungry doctor cannot be productive’, ‘7 months of unpaid salaries, why?’

The doctors, who constitute majority of the protesters, lamented over non payment of their salaries for up to seven months, while some, considered to be lucky are being owed lesser periods, the least being 3 months.
The doctors who claim to have expressed their dissatisfaction to the umbrella body, Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH Chapter, describe the protest as evidence of the fact that their complaints have not yielded results. They (doctors) claim to have given a 21 day notice, contained in a letter sent to the management before embarking on today’s protest.

Addressing the protesting doctors, the Director of Administration in LUTH, Mr Ayo Olagunju feigned ignorance over the agitations of the doctors. According to him, the hospital management is unaware of the fact that the doctors have not been paid for over 3 months, some, 7 months. This was met with boos and tumultuous response from the doctors who found his comment distasteful.

He later showed the protesting doctors a copy of a letter which was written to ‘higher authorities’ in Abuja in respect of owed salaries which was in part being hindered by the new integrated payment system; IPPIS, but claims the letter has not been given the desired response.

Some of the doctors who took turns to address their colleagues lamented the unfair treatment being meted out to them, calling on the hospital’s management led by the Chief Medical Director, Professor Akin Osibogun, to effect immediate payment of their salaries. They also express fear of victimisation over their decision to finally protest after months of being silent.

The doctors lament over inability to meet up with their financial obligations, the high costs associated with discharging their duties including accommodation which goes for as high as 330,000 naira, an example being the RMO V building; one of the accommodation provided inside the compound.

The doctors recall a disheartening occurrence in which one of them lost his father in the same hospital (LUTH) due to inability to pay his bills. They recall how the father of their colleague was brought in on emergency but the hospital denied him admission unless a deposit of 50,00 naira was made. The doctor had pleaded to go source for the money while his father was at least admitted. Despite pleas by the young doctor that he was being owed by the same hospital (LUTH), hence, the inability to pay immediately, his father was left unattended to and died of cardiac arrest while waiting to be attended to.

The protesting doctors, who had congregated at the Main administration building where the protest started, marched briefly within the premises, heading to the Emergency and Accidents building where they paused to create awareness on their plight.

The doctors claim that while their average pay amounts to approximately 140,000 naira, some of their colleagues in other hospitals get as much 180,000 while others earn close to 200,000. This disparity persists despite their assertion that the Federal Government approves uniform payment for all of them.

Another bone of contention is arbitrary deductions being made from their pay checks. The doctors claim part of their money is being deducted for an insurance/pension scheme. However, the government has made it known that they are not pensionable, at least, not yet. Despite the government’s declaration, part of their money is still being deducted for a pension scheme they are not eligible to benefit from.

With all the foregoing grievances, the doctors have decided to withdraw their services for a period of 10 days pending the hospital’s response to their main agitation which is payment of their outstanding salaries.

They recognise the fact that their contract forbids them from embarking on strikes, hence the decision to simply ‘withdraw their services’ for 10 days while the hospital management does the right thing.

http://theyoungwarlock./2013/09/02/news-doctors-protest-non-payment-of-7months-salary-arrears/

7months So by the time they pay, Osibogun would have made huge profit from the fixed deposit. God help this country.

Until they strike, no one listens to these people. Smh

On a lighter note, I can see some cute behinds so
Everybody hide, the perverts are coming!!!