Doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State have commenced a strike action to protest poor working conditions.
The hospital’s chapter of the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) announced the industrial action in a statement by the Chairman, Dr Ayobami Alabi and Secretary, Dr Taiwo Alatishe.
The decision was made following a congress resolution that was reached after an ultimatum earlier issued by the association had expired.
The MDCAN chapter declared that they had closely monitored the hospital’s situation, and there was no definite assurance that the issues in contention would be resolved anytime soon, either partly or wholly.
The association expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital management’s inability to pay recent employees’ salaries and their delay in paying 2016 to 2017 salary arrears.
Other issues include a shortage of doctors across different cadres, consultants, specialists, resident doctors, specialists in training and house officers.
The association stated that the hospital’s management had failed to employ enough doctors and staff, thereby impeding the expansion of the scope of training and services.
Furthermore, it cited the poor state of infrastructure, equipment, and facilities that were making the hospital operate below the optimal standard of a teaching hospital.
The poor conditions of service include the lack of basic facilities like offices for consultants and non-responsiveness of the management in spite of years of appeal.
The MDCAN appealed to the public, traditional rulers, critical stakeholders, and the state government to come to the rescue of the teaching hospital to reposition it for better output.
The association maintained that the strike action was necessary to safeguard the hospital from total collapse and to reposition it for better training, research, and services for which it was established.