The Association of Resident Doctors of Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital has stated its intention to go on indefinite strike due to a severe scarcity of doctors, insecurity, and inadequate sponsorship of the residency program.
The doctors declared this in a statement issued during their emergency general meeting at the hospital on Tuesday.
The strike, according to the statement, would begin on January 31, 2024, following a seven-week grace period in which its previous third series of notification of an ultimatum to the Enugu State Government to do the needful and meet its demands was ignored.
The communique was signed by ARD-ESUT’s President, Dr Chukwunonso Ofonere, and Secretary General, Dr Ikemefuna Nnamani.
It stated that the EGM regretted the hospital’s management’s silence on the 14-day ultimatum issued, as well as the additional 49 days of grace after the ultimatum expired for it to meet the requests of the association.
The organization lamented that ESUT’s management and the Enugu State Government had failed to proclaim a state of emergency regarding doctor employment, as well as hospital safety and security.
The EGM noted that it has been more than 180 days since the government, through the Secretary to the State Government, guaranteed the ARD the hiring of medical officers and resident doctors, as well as the payment of the medical residency training money.
It stated that the EGM noted that the security guards stationed at the gate are no longer there, and direct daily assaults on doctors have resumed; however, the safety of doctors and other health workers in the hospital cannot be assured.
“The management should declare a state of emergency on the employment of doctors in the hospital. There should be an urgent approval for the recruitment of medical officers, resident doctors, and house officers in the hospital.
“This recruitment should be focused especially at the Accident and Emergency Department, Surgery Department, Internal Medicine Department, Paediatrics Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Departments, etc. Resident Doctors that have left our institution in the past four years and were never replaced.
“Management should ensure implementation of safety policies to protect her workers against physical attacks and kidnap by restoring the daily police and other covert security personnel deployed to the hospital.
“The 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) has not been paid and exam bodies are closing their adverts,” it said.
The statement said that salary increments had not been looked into at all; even as house officers were excluded from the hardship/palliative of N25,000 given by the state governor.
“We are still back to where we were in 2023 or even worse as plans are on the way to increase the rents of those living in the hospital quarters (one-bedroom apartment) by about 375 per cent from N8,000 to N30,000 monthly.
“This will escalate the already palpable crises and we will be left with no other alternatives but to protect the interest and welfare of our members.
“Jan. 31, 2024, is here already and the doctors are mobilising for an indefinite, total, and maybe protracted industrial action if nothing is done,” it added.
The doctors also pleaded with the state Governor Peter Mbah, to intervene in the matter to avoid untold hardship and loss of lives that might occur if there is a disruption in the health care delivery in the state.