PATIENTS at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and
their relations may have to wait longer than expected for the doctors’
return as the Idi-Araba chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors
(ARD) has accused the hospital management of indifference to the
issues that led to its indefinite strike.
ARD Secretary, Dr. Sekumade Adebayo, told The Guardian yesterday
that while the 21-day ultimatum and the subsequent three-day
warning strike lasted, the management made no attempt to negotiate
with the body, and even since the indefinite strike started on Monday,
there has yet been no attempt to meet their agitations.
The association downed tools on Monday over “poor working
condition” in the institution and non-implementation of “skipping”
structure as directed by the Federal Government. According to ARD,
patients’ relatives, ignorant of the institutional problems, had
severally harassed doctors for not delivering or delay in delivering
some services.
According to the body, doctors have been stagnated for years
following the institution’s refusal to implement skipping. Adebayo
said: “The management has not called ARD for any negotiation up till
now over all the issues we raised.” He wondered why the hospital has
refused to pay the skipping allowance.
