Activities at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, were paralysed on Tuesday as the majority of the health workers in the hospital began an indefinite strike.
The health workers, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions, OOUTH, Sagamu, said they declared an industrial action due to neglect by the state government, unpaid allowances, delayed promotion and unconducive working environment, among others.
The JOHESU consists of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association at OOUTH.
Addressing journalists, the chairman, JOHESU, OOUTH, Sagamu, Mrs. Kikelomo Enaholo, said they had been pushed to the wall and had to act.
She said the state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who visited the hospital during his campaign three years ago, made some promises to improve on the facilities and the welfare package of workers but nothing had happened since then.
Apart from an outstanding March 2011 salary, Enaholo said the state government owed the members of the unions 17 months Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure arrears, while another 13 months’ arrears were outstanding on their Consolidated Health Workers Salary Structure.
Enaholo also added that the government had not been remitting its counterpart fund concerning their pension.
She said, “Before the congress took the decision to embark on this sit-at-home protest, we have explored all avenues to avoid it but all did not yield any result.
“We have written to the governor, commissioner, the board and other relevant committees concerning our plight but there was no response.”
Enaholo, who said the members were working under an unconducive environment, where electricity had been epileptic, added that the generators procured by the management were not capable of meeting the operational needs of the hospital.
She said, “For everything we do in the hospital, we require electricity, be it in the theatre or in the laboratory. But every time here, there is usually no power supply. The small generators procured by the new chief medical director have their limitations.
“If you come here in the night, you will be confronted with total darkness. No one will be encouraged to bring in patients by such ugly picture.
“We are calling on the state government to link this hospital with the national grid as in the case of the General Hospital, Ijaiye.”
Enaholo, who explained that members of the unions had had their promotion delayed since 2013, noted that the state government must not only expedite action on this but should also keep that of 2014 in view.
She added, “We will not resume work until all these demands are met. We believe the governor will attend to them as quickly as possible, so that innocent souls will not die in this hospital.”
When contacted on the telephone, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, said the government was working on the issues raised by the workers but condemned the industrial action.
He said, “The state government is working on all these issues they have raised. It is not as if we are just folding our hands. But I must add that this strike they embarked upon does not help the matter.”
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