Resident doctors in Anambra State have threatened to embark on indefinite strike over government’s inability to fix the rots at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku.
The doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), also lamented poor funding of the health institution and lack of implementation of the 2018 budgetary provision.
The medical officers, after its general congress last year, issued a 21-day ultimatum to Governor Willie Obiano, demanding immediate solution to series of challenges confronting the medical personnel in the state hospital.
In a communique signed on Tuesday by the body’s President, Dr. Obinna Aniagboso and his secretary, Dr. Chidiebele Egolum, they demanded appropriate placement of doctors in the remuneration platform as obtainable in other places.
They also demanded for payment of 100% revised CONMESS as contained in the Salary Review Committee report.
Other prayers included adequate funding of COOUTH to enable provision of needed human and material resources for improved patient care and quality services befitting of a teaching hospital; well-structured academic programme for residency and full implementation of the Residency Teaching act recently signed into law by Federal Government.
According to Anigbogu, the ultimatum elapsed few days ago, insisting that government should not expect industrial harmony in the state.
He said: “The COOUTH doctors are the lowest paid in Nigeria and the entire West African region earning less than 40 per cent of the recommended CONMESS salary structure.
“That in spite of the laudable efforts of the CMD to increase productivity and excellence, there remains widespread disenchantment and morale plummet amongst doctors.
“That the current situation has endangered much instability in the workforce via continual efflux of experienced personnel leading to grossly inadequate medical personnel.
“The current paltry pay of doctors cannot support residency training Programme (RTP) which requires periodic update courses.
“It is our earnest hope that the state government graciously takes steps to address these demands in order to ensure the continued smooth running of the hospital; otherwise we may not guarantee industrial harmony.”
