In a bizarre act of aggression, members of the Joint Health Staff Union
(JOHESU) were at the weekend alleged to have stormed the premises of
Gwarinpa General Hospital, Abuja, to unleash terror on any visible personnel,
especially doctors on duty. They were also said to have vandalised property.
The President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) chapter, Dr. Isaac Akerele, who narrated the incident, said it was an act
of “sheer luck for many doctors who were on duty to have escaped the
onslaught”.
Members of the JOHESU comprising nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists,
physiotherapists and non-health workers had since November, 2014, been on
strike in protest against government refusal to meet their demands.
Akerele, however, expressed sadness that a very senior doctor was unlucky and
she was terribly manhandled.
He said the attackers broke down all the entrance to the main block including
the laboratory and later shot canister of tear gas that triggered severe
respiratory distress that necessitated intensive care resuscitation.
Although the reason for JOHESU action was not stated, he noted, it was
apparent that they were angered by the fact that Doctors had been successfully
attending to patients even with JOHESU on strike.
Akerele described the action of the health workers as a barbaric, totally
condemnable, unacceptable and a fatal error.
He said his association was reliably informed that the group was led by one
Shuaib Onucheyo, a Laboratory Technician with Nyanya General Hospital, who
was believed to belong to the militant wing of JOHESU, carrying out this attack
on hospitals and doctors.
He said: “This group came to the Gwarimpa General Hospital with all manners
of weapons, including firearms that was used to shoot tear gas canisters into
the hospital.
“This attack left many, including patients injured, with some in critical conditions
at the intensive care unit especially a very senior colleague who was attending
to preterm babies at the time of this attack.
“We are calling on all authorities especially the Inspector General of Police (IG)
to urgently investigate the sources of the weapons used. We equally call on the
FCT Administration (FCTA) to investigate and apply public service rules to
protect our members on call.”
“To this effect, a letter has been sent to the FCT authorities. In this regard, I
have directed our lawyers to institute a legal action against these persons and
the body they represent for damages.
“ As law abiding professionals, we do not want to take laws into or hands but
we are sending strong warnings to any groups or persons or associations to
stop harassing our members. To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” he
cautioned.
In a related development, Akerele expressed the association’s appeal to
politicians to invest in the health sector, as they campaign for next month’s
general election.
He said the provision of excellent health infrastructure and better investment
should be a priority to the politicians.
Meanwhile, the leadership of JOHESU in the country has been urged to end the
nation-wide strike entering three months now for the sake of the suffering
masses.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH),
Prof. Etete Peters, at a chat with journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, weekend
said it was unprofessional for the health workers to be on such a prolong strike.
The federal government, he said, was not adamant over the position of the
health workers as government had engaged the labour leaders in series of
constructive negotiations towards resolving the lingering contentious issues.
Prof. Peters noted that the federal government has agreed to address the grey
and contentious grievances of the workers, especially those bordering on
payment of arrears of allowances, clinical governance and professionalism.
“We strongly feel that it is quite important to take another look at the scenario
in view of the suffering and hardship the strike is causing the masses,” he
stressed.
According to him, government has agreed to settle the main outstanding issues
bordering on the payment of arrears of their allowances following Court
judgment obtained about two years ago.
The money for the payment of that allowance, he said, had been captured in the
2015 appropriation now pending before the National Assembly for passage into
law.
Equally, he said a high-powered committee set up by President Goodluck
Jonathan on inter-professional relationship in the public health sector has
submitted its report.
“The report of the committee has been submitted to Mr. President and the
white-paper committee set up, we expect that the white paper should come up
in the next few days.
“The report of that committee has summarily dealt with all the issues of various
conflicts in term of professional practice within the health sector.
“It is expected that when the white paper is issued, each professional will know
their role or level of work within the system,” he said
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/cmd-appeals-to-johesu-to-end-three-month-old-strike/200171/

Militant wing of JOHESU, very funny.
So doctors too fit run....

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We have a very brutal approach to issues in this country, how can health workers be injuring patients? Its a shame