From: Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso has condemned the delayed audit of the hospital, noting that the delayed action had put the lives of staff, family and patients in continuous hardship.

The doctors, who had been on indefinite strike for over two months now, stated in a press statement signed by the President and Gen. Secretary of the association, Sebastine Oiwoh and Ayobami Alabi, respectively, and copies of which were made available to journalists, on Monday.

According to the doctors, the hospital staff had been on half salaries since January 2016 and the delay by the state government to restructure the hospital and intervene in the hospital’s protracted crises has led to continuous loss of lives of members of staff, family members and patients.

The doctors alleged that the state government was only playing politics with the issue of the hospital, but insisted that there was no political will to find solutions to crises rocking the hospital.

The statement reads: “The modern physician pledge just adopted by the World Medical Association emphasizes amongst others the health, wellbeing and ability of the physician. This is a sine qua non for provision of the highest standard of health care to the teeming population.

“We are armed with the civil and public service rules and we are yet to see where it takes twenty-two (22) months to audit, plan or even “restructure” in a sector that provides essential services even amidst sheer neglect of responsibilities from employer.

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“We repeat that what needs to be done can be and should have been done before twenty-two (22) months without the attendant loss of lives of staff, patients and families.

“Twenty-two (22) months of delay in decision making out of the time for a resident doctor means a lot of delay in the training as a lot of decisions hampered by financial paucity stalls our progress.

“Isn’t delay in decision making for harrowing twenty-two months since January 2016 sufficient enough to demand for a quick but pragmatic fix of the problems in a sector where life saving is our duty?

“If indeed the state government isn’t insensitive must she wait until twenty-two (22) months before coming up with “restructuring”.

“And if boasts are made of delivery of equipment without manpower to operate such, let alone operate it well and satisfactorily to the good of the patients, then of what good is the boast.

“We refuse to be deceived by the serial name-calling, excuse-giving as well as “Utopian” ideas on paper without actualisation within meaningful time devoid of attendant damage from complete inertia to action.

“We still say the government should not play politics or make vainglorious displays with the lives of the populace”, the statement reads.