Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Consultant doctors at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, have commenced an indefinite strike.
The action might lead to totally paralysis of medical activities at the hospital as the consultants have been managing to keep the hospital going after the resident doctors had gone on strike.
The industrial action which was at the instance of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), COOUTH chapter, came seven weeks into the same action by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the institution.
MDCAN, COOUTH, it could be recalled had on May 31 issued a 21-day notice of the strike and embarked on warning strike on June 3.
The association in a statement titled “Notice of Resumption on an indefinite strike,” said it was embarking on the action because of non implementation of their Consolidated Medical Salary Scale and absence of condition of service which had resulted in stagnation of its members.
It noted that the decision for the indefinite strike was reached at its emergency meeting held at the Histopathology Auditorium Complex, COOUTH on June 21.
The statement signed by Dr Chukwudi Okani and Dr Obiora Ejiofor, chairman and secretary respectively, condemned what the association called government’s insensitivity to the doctors’ demand and vowed not to be part of any discussion that would not address their demands.
The statement also reads in parts: “After due notices to government and seven-day warning strike to alert them on the seriousness of our demands, it seemed that government had not taken us seriously.
“Consequently, arising from our emergency meeting, our members resolved as follows, that all the medical doctors with COOUTH, Amaku-Awka can no longer condone the situation.
“The least qualified medical doctors (House Officers) in federal institutions and other state-owned teaching hospitals in Nigeria earn better than the most qualified medical doctors (consultants/professors) in the employ of COOUTH.
“We can no longer tolerate the status quo whereby the entire workers are stagnated without any form of promotion since the inception of the teaching hospital in 2012 for the reasons best known to the hospital management.
“MDCAN, COOUTH, strongly condemns the seeming unresponsiveness of the government at creating the enabling environment for amicable resolution of the impasse which is having its heavy effect on our patients.
“That we shall immediately proceed on indefinite strike action starting from 8am, June 24.”
MDCAN therefore, called on Anambra government to urgently institute reliable and convincing measures that would ensure implementation and payment of 100 per cent CONMESS including arrears to all doctors with COOUTH.
Equally, the doctors demanded the release and implementation of the conditions of service at COOUTH while appealing to the people of Anambra to see reason with their action.
They said, “We sincerely appeal to well Anambra people to appeal to the government to reduce the suffering our patients are undergoing owing to the seeming reluctance of government at finding a lasting solution to the industrial action.”