LUTH Resident Doctors Commence Indefinite Strike

Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), has on Friday embarked on an indefinite strike over nonpayment of outstanding salaries and allowances.

Reports have it that the association was also demanding for the payment of outstanding arrears owed house officers, resident doctors, and residency training fees.

Other issues, they are seeking interventions include the lack of resident doctors and house officers across all units and better lighting in the dark portions within the hospital environment.

Recall that resident doctors and house officers had staged a peaceful protest on May 22 followed with a two-day warning strike on the same issues.

Dr Kayode Makinde, President, LUTH ARD, told NAN on Friday that the hospital management had not called leaders of ARD for another meeting after the warning strike.

Makinde said ARD executives had no option than to embark on the indefinite strike, adding that members of the association would not resume work until all their demands were met.

According to him, 65 house officers were being owed between one and five months salaries.

“With the present numbers of house officers (177), it means one out of three house officers is currently being owed salaries.

“House officers are not enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System platform so what is the reason for the perennial delay in payment of their salaries?

“House officers are bonafide members of the association of resident doctors LUTH.

“As at today, there are 255 resident doctors in LUTH; between 2014 and 2015, there were 547 resident doctors in LUTH.

“So, 86 resident doctors are being owed one to three months salaries on the IPPIS platform.

“Some have their pension funds credited with deductions from both employers and employees,” he said.

Makinde said that no resident doctor in LUTH has been sponsored for examinations and update courses in five years, and LUTH is the only centre in Nigeria in this regard.

When contacted, Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade, the Chairman, LUTH Medical Advisory Committee said the present agitation started when the association demanded the withdrawal of the administrative query given to some of its members.

Fasanmade said LUTH management does not employ resident doctors and house officers, noting that each of these cadres was admitted periodically for training under specific rules.