LUTH resident doctors to embark on indefinite strike Thursday

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Arabia, chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) says it will begin an indefinite strike on Thursday over unpaid salaries and allowances of doctors.

Dr Adewale Oba, ARD President, made this known to our reporter on Wednesday in Lagos.

“It is unfortunate that we had another meeting on Wednesday where we resolved to embark on an indefinite strike, commencing on Nov. 29.

“We want to appeal to the general public, most especially the influential members of the public to prevail on the management to quickly avert the industrial action,’’ Oba said.

According to him, our resolution followed the refusal of the hospital management to pay the outstanding three months salaries of resident doctors, among others.

“The association was compelled to embark on strike as from Thursday after several appeals to the management yielded no positive response.

“The happening in LUTH now is at the instance of nonpayment of the doctors’ salaries, including the resident doctors, House Officers and Consultants for the past three months.

“Several letters and notices have been given to the management on these delayed salaries.

“We called a meeting awhile ago where the ultimatum of 14 days was given to the Federal Government to heed to the demands of LUTH management.

“Till now, there is no money yet in view and LUTH management is not aware of when the money will be paid,’’ he said.

Oba said that information at the disposal of the doctors was that the hospital’s budget was cut right from the Federal Ministry of Finance which had caused a lot of shortfall in the payment of workers.

“However, the Ministry of Finance, when contacted cannot give us specific information as to when the money will be released to LUTH for the payment of old salaries,’’ he said.

The ARD president said that it had become humanly, financially and emotionally difficult for doctors to continue working without being paid.

Oba said that the only thing that could bring peaceful resolution to the impending industrial crisis was the payment of all outstanding salaries.

When contacted, Mr Kelechi Otunme, LUTH Public Relations Officer, told our reporter: “LUTH management cannot react to the strike threat by the resident doctors for now.”