PREAMBLE: The Association of Resident Doctors, UCH embarked on an industrial strike action on the 1st of May, 2015 on issues that borders on improved clinical service delivery, implementation of the Federal Government directive of 2013 and conditions of service.

 

On the 19th of December, 2013 the Federal Government through the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation directed that all health workers including Medical Officers should skip a grade level with a cover circular from the Federal Ministry of Health. Though this is being implemented for other health workers at the University College Hospital, the hospital management has refused to implement this directive for Medical Officers.

 

Clinical service delivery has been hampered by infrastructural collapse like non-working patient elevators with attending negative health implications for members of staff, lack of reagent and laboratory materials, disposables like gloves and so on.

 

Other perennial local issues are also part of the reasons for the industrial action amongst which are deplorable and dilapidated call rooms, delay and non-promotion of our members even after meeting all requisite conditions, unremitted pension fund deduction/refusal of enrolment of our members on the Contributory Pension Scheme.

 

The strike is a product of failed negotiation of over 17 months prior to the commencement of the strike action while the hospital management remained defiant to our agitations over these injustices.

 

REGRET

We express our regret to the victims of this avoidable impasse and their relatives for having to endure the consequences of Managerial indiscretion and flagrant disobedience of the Federal Government by the Management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

 

APPEAL

We appeal to the Government of CHANGE of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to investigate the immediate and remote causes of this strike in various teaching hospitals in the country and especially at the University College Hospital and ensure such are prevented in the future.

We also wish to appeal to the Federal Government;

 

To conduct a forensic audit of the billions of naira yearly committed to the various Teaching Hospitals and plug leakages (as it is currently ongoing in other sectors of the Nigerian economy) as directed by our national body. These funds, if recovered, may be used to bring back the reputation of these hospitals to international standard.

 

To pay attention to the Pension Scheme for Resident Doctors and trace the yet to be accounted pension contribution deducted from Resident Doctors' salaries by the UCH Management especially between October 2013 and October 2014

 

To ensure immediate enrolment of all Resident Doctors on the IPPIS and Contributory Pension Scheme as captured in the Pension Act

To investigate the deliberate delay in the promotion of members of staff in the hospital by the Hospital Management despite regular and up-to-date submission of confidential report of Resident Doctors by various clinical departments.

 

To investigate the activities of the Committee of CMDs/MDs; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission; and the Budget Office of the Federation for the roles played in the course of the avoidable industrial crisis.

We appeal to the Media to, in the interest of the masses, keep up this good spirit of investigative journalism as was displayed in the course of this strike action while we believe there is room for improvement.

 

RESOLUTION

Our members are hereby directed by the Emergency General Meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors, UCH to resume back to their duty posts 8am Monday 17th August, 2015 while negotiation continues. The Congress took this decision on the 14th August, 2015 following the intervention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR; Medical Elders, MDCAN (UCH), the good people of Ibadan and more importantly for the sake of our patient.

 

A statement of fact that the hospital management did not deny was that there was an increase of over N940m in the personnel subvention of the hospital for year 2015. Our stand as a congress is that this can be used to pay skipping since payment of salary from personnel subvention can never be misappropriation, more importantly now that the permanent secretary Ministry of Health has expressly reiterated the directive for skipping. It is our hope that the UCH Management will keep her side of the bargain.

 

APPRECIATION

Our appreciation goes to the Elders in the field of Medicine and Dentistry and MDCAN (UCH Branch) for their intervention at various times while the strike lasted. We also appreciate the gentlemen of the press, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes; Olubadan-in-Council and His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR for intervening and ensuring that clinical services are restored for the benefit of the masses.

 

We appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR for his foresight with respect to the decree on clinical governance of hospital in Nigeria in the past and it is our believe that the Federal government under his watch will keep up the spirit of righting the wrong in the health sector.

ARD.UCH and NARD as a whole are for the positive government of CHANGE.

 

Dr Luqman Ogunjimi .........President  

Dr Ude Anthony C  ...General Secretary