Date: 2018-03-07

*Plans to disrupt health minister's visit

Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) yesterday marched against unpleasant working conditions.

The union is planning a seven-day warning strike tomorrow.

It accused the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, of insensitivity to workers' plight.

The placard-carrying protesters told the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who is to visit the hospital on Saturday, not to come.

JOHESU's Chairman in UITH Comrade Olatunde Oluwawumi lamented workers' ordeal, and vowed that to shut down the hospital.

He said: "We wrote to him about our demands two weeks ago, giving him an ultimatum. We also listed our demands and asked him to attend to lack of drugs, consumables and equipment in the hospital; payment of 2009 and 2011 promotion arrears; payment of skipping arrears.

"But now we want the Federal Government to start to audit the accounts of teaching hospitals in the country. We don't want the government to choose a Minister of Health from teaching hospital. During Prof. Eyitayo Lambo's administration, there were no strikes because he is not a medical doctor and so was fair to all.

"So long as the government chooses a medical doctor as minister, problems in the health sector will continue. If there is no response, we will wait for directives from the headquarters.

"We pray and hope that God will give us the one who has the interest of members of staff at heart; who will have mercy on us and not deny us our rights and emoluments.

"There is no water in the hospital, no electricity supply; the hospital has obsolete equipment. What we have discovered is that Prof. Olatinwo does not have the interest of the hospital at heart.

"Instead of purchasing drugs and equipment, he prefers to build unwanted structures. They are building houses because of the 10 per cent they will get from contractors. The CMD is bringing the Minister of Health to inaugurate irrelevant structures. The man is leaving the hospital worse than he met it.

"Based on all these issues, we are doing our befitting send forth for the CMD by this protest and planned strike which starts tomorrow.

"We had a meeting with the man yesterday but he was adamant and gave us approval to go on with the strike. It shows the insensitivity of the chief executive.

"We will meet the minister with our placards on Saturday so he will know the situation in the hospital."

The Director of Administration, Mr. D. Odaibo, said the management was aware of the issues raised. He added that the workers would be addressed when revenue improves and when approval is received from the Ministry of Health.