Joint Heath Workers Union (JOHESU) Ogun State chapter has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam his light of anti-corruption war on all Federal Government health facilities across the country, particularly Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. The group alleged mismanagement of the tertiary health institutions by Chief Medical Directors (CMDs.)

 

Making the call weekend, while addressing journalists during the commencement of their indefinite strike to ‘compel the management of the institution to improve its healthcare delivery standard, the Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Idowu Samuel stated that the intervention of President Buhari became necessary to resuscitate the dwindling facilities. He noted that Mr. President needed to visit the facilities so that “these hospitals will not continue to be centres for death rather than life.”

 

Condemning the services at the Centre, Idowu said Dr. OladapoSotiloye , CMD has run the facilities aground as basic amenities of the institution such as water and power supply were no longer functioning. According to JOHESU Chairman, “there is grand decline in health indices here. No running water for patients. They buy pure water to take their bath.

 

“We all know the power situation in this country. And this hospital cannot provide alternative. As a result there is incessant power failure and what is worse, patients are made to pay energy charges they did not use.”

 

The group revealed that consultants at the medical Centre are not delivering the services they are being paid for as they rarely come to work and whenever they did, they only Ave sparse services to about five patients out of several on waiting list.

 

The lackadaisical attitude to work has contributed to mortality rate at the hospital as House doctors are left to treat patients unguided. Idowu further revealed that basic diagnostic services at the Centre have been grounded for private facilities put in place by the consultants to thrive as referrals are made by doctors on commission basis.

 

“Consultants have abandoned their duties. They rarely come to work and when they do, they dictate the number of patients they will attend to, maybe four or five, whereas, there are numerous patients dying to see them. “It is sad. And these are people that take over a million naira monthly for doing nothing.”

 

All necessary consumables in the hospital are out of supply thereby patients are sent out to buy drugs pharmaceutical shops across the street. Funds meant to run the pharmacy department of the hospital was allegedly misappropriated by the management as hampers, rams among others were bought and presented to some personalities to curry their favour.

 

However, Idowu declared that the strike would continue until their demands are met, warning that the fate that befell FMC, Owerri might happen in Abeokuta. Mrs. Bose Fatoyinbo, chairperson of Nigerian Union of Nurses and Midwives, revealed that some doctors at the hospital usually switched off their telephone handsets or ignored phone calls when there’s emergency case.