Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa through the Board Chairman of<\/p>\n
the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Chris Oghenechovwen
\nhas perfected plans to sack striking Medical and Dental Consultants of
\nNigeria, MDCAN and resident Doctors of Delta State University Teaching
\nHospital DELSUTH, Oghara over alleged endless demands by the striking
\ndoctors.<\/p>\n
This follows an order the governor issued through the institution
\nBoard Chairman to the striking Medical and Dental Consultants of
\nNigeria, MDCAN to resume duty within 72 hours or risk review of their
\nengagement in the hospital which elapse last week Friday.<\/p>\n
It would be recalled that the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of
\nNigeria, DELSUTH branch had embarked on an industrial action to press
\nhome their demands that bothers on inadequate facilities and
\nconsumables to work with in the hospital, the continued drain of the
\nscares resources of the state to pay 50 million Naira per month to 17
\nDiaspora health workers, termination Diaspora contract that expires
\nOctober and the appointment of a Diaspora Chief Medical Director who
\nwould be paid an upwards of 5 million Naira per month.
\nOther demands of the Medical consultants according to a press
\nstatement issued include payment of their hospital allowances,
\ncircularization of the entry point of new consultants and
\nimplementation of the skipping for doctors as was done for other
\nnon-doctors in the hospital.<\/p>\n
According to MDCAN Chairman, DELSUTH branch, Dr Y.O Obiabo explained
\nthat before they embarked on the industrial action, the Medical
\nconsultants had exhausted all avenues to seek government attention to
\naddress their demands, but all to no avail.<\/p>\n
Dr Obiabo stated that it is on record that in the past 5years, the
\nAssociation had never embarked on any local industrial action in the
\nhospital. Stressing that MDCAN had at the commencement of the tenure
\nof this current government in 2015 presented a letter to Okowa through
\nthe commissioner for health Dr. Nicholas Azinge informing him of
\nseveral issues concerning the administration of the hospital, funding
\nfor the hospital and welfare of staff. In the same letter MDCAN
\nappealed to government to address the issues raised so as to foster
\nindustrial harmony and improve patient medical care in the hospital.<\/p>\n
The MDCAN Chairman lamented that rather than addressing the issues
\nraised, the hospital board and Delta State government had taken
\nreverse steps that would conduct final burial for the hospital.
\nHe pointed that since the beginning of this year, government has
\nstopped monthly subvention being sent to the hospital; which has
\naffected patients in the hospital.<\/p>\n
Lamenting the comatose state of the hospital, Dr. Obiabo told newsmen
\nthat simple equipments like BP apparatus are no longer in the hospital
\nwards, essential drugs and consumable are in short supply; pointing
\nout that the hospital currently standing with its last leg.
\nHe stated further that Okowa refused to pay salaries of honorary
\nconsultants for over five months, said that they had to embark on
\nindustrial action before three months was paid, that they are still
\nbeing owed four months.<\/p>\n
He decried that despite the acclaimed limited resources in the State
\nwhy Delta State government had not taught of completely terminate the
\ncontract of the Diaspora consultants after the expiration of the
\ncurrent contract has been since 2008.<\/p>\n
Accusing the State ministry of Health, allegedly advocating for the
\nrenewal of Diaspora contracts, advising the State governor to
\nterminate the contracts that end October and channel such funds to
\nother areas in the hospital.<\/p>\n
According to him, the board Chairman recently announced the
\nappointment of a Diaspora Chief Medical Director who has no
\nadministrative experience and who would be paid five million naira per
\nmonth at a time Okowa said no fund in the State who refused to send
\nsubventions to the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe once glorified hospital has degenerated to her present deplorable
\nstate under the watch of the past three Diaspora CMDs who are foreign
\nconsultants, yet the government is still interested in continuing the
\nfailed experiment by appointing Diaspora personnel as CMD in spite of
\nthe fact that these previous CMDs were all sacked for lack of none
\nperformance and abysmal failure. It’s important to inform the public
\nthat despite the huge funding of the hospital under the last so called
\nDiaspora
\nCMD, he left the hospital with over 500million naira debt\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2018Nigerian based Consultants who were engage on a salary step of 7 are
\nstill being paid step 4 despite having an employment letter more than
\n2 years ago that shows step 7\u2019.
\nOn his own part, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors
\nDELSUTH Dr. Innocent Okoacha explained that the DELSUTH Board Chairman
\nhas threatened them with sanction if they refused attend to patients
\nafter expiration of the 72 hours ultimatum.<\/p>\n
Dr Okoacha reiterated that members of ARD are not on strike; however
\nas resident doctors in training they are not legally covered to attend
\nto patients in the absence of their consultants. He said that the
\nMedical and Dental Council of Nigeria would not allow them see
\npatients without the supervision or authorization of consultants in
\nany teaching hospital. He said he was surprise that the Board Chairman
\nwho is a medical doctor, who should be aware of this, was threatening
\nthem with sanctions. He further stated that there are lots of issues
\nthat government should address in DELSUTH.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa through the Board Chairman of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Chris Oghenechovwen has perfected plans to sack striking Medical and Dental Consultants…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n