Doctors protest poor working conditions, shortage of manpower in Kogi

Residents Doctors astatine the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, FTHL connected Thursday protested implicit the shortage of manpower and alleged obnoxious policies introduced by the absorption of the infirmary led by Dr Olatunde Alabi.

The protesting doctors carried placard with assorted inscriptions saying, ‘We privation to work, not to enactment and die,’ don’t termination us, halt utilizing nary enactment nary wage to endanger us, ‘Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja doctors are dying help,” springiness america telephone meals,’ extremity casualization of doctors, “Federal Government, Mr President, travel to our aide, among others.

The Resident Doctors protested astir the infirmary premises to registry their grievances against the absorption of the hospital.

Addressing journalists, immoderate of the protesting doctors who did not privation their names successful people implicit fearfulness of victimization noted that their pistillate colleagues person been losing their pregnancies due to the fact that of excessively overmuch workload.

” The absorption of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja has been precise disappointing to us. One of the issues we person been raising with them for overtime is the shortage of manpower. I privation to enactment it connected grounds that successful 2020, we had astir 222 nonmigratory doctors successful this hospital.

” For implicit 4 years now, galore of them person moved extracurricular the shores of this country. Some moved to the advisor cadre portion others resigned and moved to different centres. We are present near with lone 64 Residents doctors. The workload keeps connected expanding connected regular basis. We person told the absorption to employment but they support connected telling america that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refused to springiness him, (Chief Medical Director Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja Dr Olatunde Alabi) a waiver to employ.

” So we support asking him, wherefore has Mr President not fixed the CMD waiver to employment caller nonmigratory doctors successful the hospital? We asked them if they can’t employ, wherefore can’t they trim the workload, they said no. In this hospital, doctors are moving 48 hours without a telephone meal. There is 1 devilish level called Gifnis. The level is truthful devilish that erstwhile doctors are enactment connected that platform, they bash not person entree to their minimum wage and arrears.

” This level is being utilized arsenic an excuse to casualize doctors. You won’t ideate that astatine this property and time, determination volition beryllium hospitals that volition employment doctors arsenic locums. Locums are derogatory statements. They should not beryllium utilized for doctors.

” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trying to marque the wellness assemblage to beryllium the archetypal successful the full satellite and immoderate radical are employing doctors nether a gifnis level which is devilish and they are calling them casuals. They support recycling their monthly salary. It shouldn’t be.

” We privation an extremity to the Gifnis level for doctors successful Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja. We besides privation an extremity to the constituent wherever radical volition accidental they don’t person a waiver to employment doctors. There should beryllium speedy advertisements for doctors and each arrears of doctors successful Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja should beryllium paid. We are patriotic. Every idiosyncratic deserves his reward and wages”.

The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Kogi State Dr Baoku Olusola who joined the Resident Doctor’s protestation said, ” it is simply a bittersweet time for america present successful Kogi State. You tin spot that I americium wearing achromatic arsenic overmuch arsenic each the doctors that are here. The doctors are aggravated and bittersweet and of course, successful extension, the NMA is bittersweet due to the fact that of the lawsuit that is really taking spot successful Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja.

“We person been communicated 3 times successful the past 3 months concerning the burning issues successful Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja. We person been hoping and praying the absorption of the infirmary would person recovered a mediate crushed successful resolving each this issue.

“Yesterday was labour time and the Senate Present Godswill Akpabio said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that nary workers indispensable beryllium made to enactment nether harsh, terrible situations. So, we are expecting that the enactment and the absorption of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja volition telephone these doctors who are patriotic capable to enactment successful this Country and bash their enactment nether precise harsh conditions, conscionable with them, perceive to them and beryllium capable to lick their problems.

“People tin not beryllium connected work for 48 hours and determination volition beryllium nary nutrient to eat. What if they collapse? Somebody resuscitating different tin collapse. So who volition resuscitate who? They are wholly overworked. These doctors are warring for their surviving wages. I can’t ideate that with each the things Mr President has enactment successful spot astir workers, determination are immoderate doctors who are not getting 35,000 wage awards, doctors are being casualized connected a level called GIFMIS and truthful galore problems going connected successful this hospital.

“I americium telling you, spell and confirm, successful FTHL, doctors are not getting their 35,000 wage award. There are piles of arrears for the past years that are not being paid to doctors. We are besides alert that FTHL which has astir 500 beds and runs connected implicit 200 doctors present runs connected 64 nonmigratory doctors. That is simply a illness of a system”

He called connected the Federal Government led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to rapidly intervene by addressing the demands of the nonmigratory doctors astatine the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja.

“Things are going beyond what anybody could say. It volition beryllium peaceful anytime soon. Before these doctors volition spell and dice 1 aft the different oregon unopen down the system, the national authorities should rapidly intervene and bring this occupation to a tenable end” helium stated.

The Resident doctors vowed to proceed their protestation until their demands are met by the absorption of the hospital.