Lagos University Teaching Hospital Public Notice

Posted on: Tue 25-04-2017

The attention of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has been drawn to a writeup circulated to all LUTH residents by one Dr Sekumade, a trainee in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, casting all sorts of aspersions on the person of the Chief Medical Director of the Institution. The Management wishes to assure everyone in LUTH and the public that Dr Sekumade’s unbecoming utterances are his personal views and do not reflect any official position.

LUTH Management does not recognise Dr Sekumade as President of the ARD as he remains suspended by the national body of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), the professional body to which ARD is affiliated. This has been communicated to him since he claimed to have been elected but perhaps, he did not tell his constituency about this. Regardless of this however, anyone opportuned to undergo training in any of our Institution’s residency programmes should know that the training is not only for skills but more importantly, character. This trainee has persistently refused to learn the ethics and ethos of the noble profession of medicine. Rather, he continues to show disdain for his tutors whom, by Hippocratic tradition, he should treat with respect.

Dr Sekumade did not consult LUTH residents and there is no record of any plebiscite in February before he spearheaded a group to write all Government officials and the highest Office in the land, asking for the removal of LUTH CMD, a position he and his coterie of diehard ARD cabal has been pursuing for over two years. He enlisted the assistance of the nurses’ union to give credence to his puerile allegations and has continued to constitute himself into an alternate Management in LUTH.

At the same time as he wanted the CMD removed, Dr Sekumade and his co-travellers went to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Abuja and asked that the CMD be called there to meet with his group to “avert an impending crisis in LUTH”. The CMD was not invited to this meeting but was only copied in a letter written to Dr Sekumade. On the day of the meeting of this group in Abuja, it is on record that all CMDs were meeting with the Honourable Minister of Health, the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health.

It is sadly amusing that Dr Sekumade will be desperately attempting to meet with the same CMD whom his group says is illegal and wants removed. He should be smart enough to stick to one script, rather than trying to shake the tree to see what drops. That doesn’t wash.

You may therefore ask what is the real problem this group has with LUTH Management?

They are a group of doctors who have no clue about why they are in LUTH. They are however hell-bent on fomenting trouble unless they are in the seat of power, spending ARD money to feed their insatiable egos. It is on record that this group which is less than 15 in number continues to stranglehold their association by naked intimidation of all members and imposition of their poisonous views on the generality of disinterested members. Each of the following speaks for itself:

1. There is no crisis in LUTH

We are approaching the 9th month of strike free service delivery in the Hospital, a feat we had not experienced in over six years since this batch of ARD leaders came into the training. Thus, attendance is up, deliveries have soared and surgeries have increased while public confidence in us has returned. Everyone now complains (pleasantly) of being “overworked” as services are now restored. This is a departure from years of unending chaos when we went on interminable strikes.

2. The Era of Ceaseless Strikes is Over

In 2014, LUTH was on strike for 8 months during which residents learnt nothing. In 2015, we were on strike for 5 months. Sadly enough, everyone got paid for no work done. Since 2016 when the Government firmly implemented the No-Work-No-Pay policy across board, sanity has gradually returned to our workspace and we are gradually settling down to do what we are employed to do. Of course, years of sub-optimal performance had led to the emergence of various groups that dictated when to work and when we should stay at home. They are now fighting back to regain that power. ARD has called for 5 strike actions since October 2016 but nobody followed them to down tools.

3. What of all the Residents Being “Victimised”?

It is a myth!

Of close to 500 residents and over 200 house officers in LUTH, only one person is currently on suspension. Dr Olusola Adeyelu has been a recalcitrant trainee who failed to satisfactorily explain his absence from work for close to a month. He is also being investigated under suspicious circumstances that may affect patients’ care but he refused to cooperate with the authorities, rather he took the Hospital to court in 3 separate suits. Recently, he has resorted to threatening the lives of people in LUTH compound, an act totally incompatible with his profession as a doctor.

Early in 2017, Dr Adeyelu submitted an application to sit an examination of the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria. The form however was not signed by the CMAC nor the CMD, contrary to the standard practice in LUTH. When LUTH discovered this shady act, it was pointed out to the College and the erring doctor was stopped from proceeding with the examination. (See attach) It is surprising that this doctor, his lawyers and the ARD are yet to go to court for redress on this impropriety till date. Rather, the ARD has taken up the song of “victimisation” on his behalf. The ARD’s ploy to make this a point of negotiation is thus futile. Training is not negotiated. You either train properly under laid down rules or you don’t.

4. What about Skipping?

There is a latest circular requesting all Hospitals to compute (yet again) the total outstanding liabilities on Skipping in the Health Sector Agencies. This is the clearest indication that the Skipping issue is in the hands of Government and whenever the Government has the money it will be paid. It is pointless to think that applying pressure on any CMD will squeeze money out of where it has not been given. While this computations is being made, the Management therefore enjoins everyone to be patient with the Government till this issue is sorted out amicably.

We have witnessed progress on several fronts and Management commends all who joined hands to make this so. All trainees are hereby reminded to abide by the terms and spirit of their letters of admission as trainees. We are glad that now sanity has returned to the environment, most of our residents are only interested in completing their training on time. Residency training is not simply a matter of skills acquisition without character building. Self comportment, decorum in private and public utterances as well as constructive engagement in managerial capacities are taught and assessed as part of residency. Residency training is not a bed of roses. It is a series of obstacle courses where each person is assessed on how well they cope. Only the finest of those who stay the course are deemed fit to proceed to the next stage.

Dr Olufemi Fasanmade

Chairman, MedicalAdvisory Committee, LUTH

ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED