- Chief Medical Director, LUTH, 

EVEN when the residency programme was not suspended, what work was going on? LUTH has 400-500 residents. They were not working before now For the past month there was no work, except for those that have been voluntarily assisting in the 

Ebola care, in case management and contact tracing at the Mainland Hospital. 

We have to' examine the situation, They have been on strike and went for negotiation, and when you go for negotiation, you cannot win 100 percent, If you have many grievances, and some are resolved, you should at least reconsider, Govemment gave concession, Then there is a National emergency on ground that they could have used as excuse to' call off the strike. 

We cannot be asking people to' come and help us from outside without doing anything for ourselves. It's a moral dilemma. If the programme has been put on hold, govemment will use the OPPortunity to' address this recurring problem of strike once and for all. When you gO' into battle, you must strategise. You don't go' to' battle without giving yourself room to' escape in case the battle gets heated. There should have been a retreat strategy, now the government has analysed that there has been no job going on, SO' what does government have to' lose by asking them go? There was no work going on in the first place anyway, SO' it really makes no difference they've been asked to' go. Of course, the decision may put pres- sure on the Consultants and others, Once a group is not at work, there will be pressure on other groups. That is normal, however, with this development, equilibrium will be established because there will be newer ways of doing things. There will be some initial challenges. In the past one month, no service was being rendered, but noW if we begin to' render services, there will be those challenges. But we will get over it. Govemment has directed that we are at liberty to' recruit. We have permission to' do that. 

By: Prof. Akin Oshibogun