Doctors urge public to intervene in strike

At a press conference in Ibadan recently the President of ARD, Dr. Lukman Ogunjinmi stated that rather than blaming the doctors for the ongoing strike, the management should be chastised for its unyielding posture regarding the issues confronting doctors.Ogunjinmi who was flanked by other officers of the association reeled out to newsmen several agreements reached […]

At a press conference in Ibadan recently the President of ARD, Dr. Lukman Ogunjinmi stated that rather than blaming the doctors for the ongoing strike, the management should be chastised for its unyielding posture regarding the issues confronting doctors.
Ogunjinmi who was flanked by other officers of the association reeled out to newsmen several agreements reached between them and the UCH Chief Medical Director, Professor Temitope Alonge just as he enjoined the management of the hospital to honour the circular from the Federal Ministry of Health and office of the Head of Service, failure of which he said would drag the strike longer than envisaged.
While urging the hospital management to stop seeking clarification from the National Salary and Wages Commission, he emphasized that other institutions like the Usman Dan Fodio, OAUTH, FMC, Ido-Ekiti and the neighbouring teaching hospital in Ogun State have all complied with the directives of the Health Ministry and the circular written by the Head of Service of the Federation to the issues.
He clarified that even though members of the association were still rendering skeletal services, especially in the Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Unit, “the reasons why we are on strike are clear”.
“What we are against is casualisation and we want skipping to be implemented as directed by the federal government in circulars issued by the Head of Service of the Federation and that issued by the Ministry of Health,” he stated.
Reacting the CMD of UCH, Professor Alonge said that there was nothing like casualisation as alleged by the striking doctors.
The CMD described it as an internal issue, which was resolved immediately the attention of the management was drawn to it.
On the issue of skipping, Alonge stated that the management received a circular from the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) that skipping should be embarked upon, adding that non-doctors usually skip Grade Level 10.
“For us, the issue of salaries and wages that are due to workers is not the prerogatives of ministries. It is the prerogatives of the National Salary and Wages Commission. So, the issue of employment are resident in the Head of Service.
“ But the issue of salaries are resident in the National Salary and Wages Commission.
“In the circular that we have from the National Salary Wages Commission, there is nothing like skipping for doctors. So, whatever conflict that has arisen, the only body that is empowered to provide an answer is National Salary Wages Commission. If we have a letter from the National Salary Wages Commission, they would have communicated with the Budget and Budget would have honoured that in our personnel appropriation and then we can begin to pay. You don’t pay what you don’t have.”