OOUTH workers down tools, press Amosun for better conditions
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OOUTH workers down tools, press Amosun for better conditions
It was conceived to be a citadel of excellence, where medical and residency training of doctors would go side by side delivery of high quality healthcare services to the residents of Ogun State in particular and Nigeria in general.
But alas, this is not so with the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, which in recent times is bogged down with crises. The crises, hitherto administrative in nature, have festered into a face-off between the doctors in the hospital and the state government, its proprietor.
Although, it parades experts in various fields of medicine, the major departments including Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstertrics and Gynaecology are in shamble, making the hospital a shadow of its self. Electricity supply is epileptic, while generators procured by the management are not capable of meeting the operational needs of the hospital.
In recent times, the hospital has been thrown into incessant industrial strife, with workers continuously protesting non-payment of salaries, poor working conditions as well as withholding of their consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure arrears of 13 months among others.
Only last week, activities at the state-owned hospital were paralyzed following the resumption of an indefinite strike by its health workers. The workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions (OOUTH), again declared an industrial action following what they described as the lingering neglect of the teaching hospital by the state government, unpaid allowances, delayed promotion and poor working environment among others. The Joint Health Workers Union consists of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association at OOUTH.
Chairman of the union, Mrs. Kikelomo Enaholo, said the union had been pushed to the wall and had to act. According to her, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, whom she claimed visited the hospital during his campaign three years ago, made some promises towards enhancement of facilities in the hospital as well as welfare of workers, which he was yet to fulfill.
Aside from an outstanding March 2011 salary, Enaholo said the state government owed the members of the unions 17 months Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure arrears. She added that another 13 months arrears were outstanding on their Consolidated Health Workers Salary Structure, just as she also alleged that the government had not been remitting its counterpart fund concerning their pension:
“We have written to the governor, commissioner, the board and other relevant committees concerning our plight, but all to no avail. Our members had, had their promotions delayed since 2013.”
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, who spoke on telephone, said government was working on the issues raised by the workers. While lamenting that the strike embarked upon would not help their grievances, Soyinka added that government was not folding its hands.
Amosun while reacting to the strike, said he was doing his best to please the workers: “For us as an administration, we have been doing our best since we came on board and this has led to settling 18 months out of the 19 months that we inherited from the previous administration. I have also ordered that the arrears be paid.”
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to providing qualitative and affordable health care delivery to the people of the state. He cautioned them to avoid truncating the scheme through persistent strikes and demands.
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