TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has threatened to embark on an industrial action on the next four-week’s ultimatum over poor working conditions.

Members of the association were observed carrying various placards with inscriptions like “The labourer is worthy of his wages,”  “No call food: a hungry doctor is a danger,” and “call rooms renovation now,” among others, during their solidarity march around the hospital.

The association’s president, Dr. Ibukunoluwa Enesi, while addressing journalist during the protest on Monday, stated that the association is not receiving any guarantees from the hospital regarding its demands, which is why the protest become necessary.

He said, “We are giving the hospital management a four weeks ultimatum to address these issues. Failure to do so may result in industrial disharmony between our members and the hospital management.”

Enesi, who listed of the their demands said, “it is unfortunate that despite the shortage of doctors in the hospital, the hospital is owing about 42 doctors 14 months salary arrears and about 45 doctors March 2024 salary arrears.

“While we have engaged the management in both formal and informal meetings, the best our members got was 3 months salary arrears out of 17 months remaining, 14 months as of today, July 1, 2024.

“We want to use this medium to express our displeasure at the attitude of the management toward the accoutrement allowance that has been paid in some centers in the country.

“We observed with dismay the speed at which the OAUTHC management implemented this draconian policy of no work, no pay for a five-day protest of the association for non-payment of the 14 months arrears of our members.”

In similar vein, the public relations officer of the association, DR. Rasheed Abiola, has called on President Bola Tinubu, religious and traditional rulers and well-meaning Nigerians, to impress on federal ministry of health and social welfare and OAUTHC management to do the needful to avert disruption of services in the hospital.

However, the chairman of the medical advisory committee, OAUTH, Dr. Josephine Ezeyi, urged the doctors to exercise patience with the management, stressing drastic measures are being employed ensure their demands are met.