Pay our three-month outstanding salaries, doctors urge LUTH management
Two medical unions at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, on Tuesday called on the management of the institution to pay the outstanding three-month salaries of doctors.
The associations are Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria and the Association of Resident Doctors.
The Chairman, MDCAN LUTH chapter, Dr. Babatunde Bamigboye, addressing newsmen at a joint news conference in Lagos, said that salaries of over 600 doctors were being withheld since August 20.
Bamigboye said that other categories of workers in the hospital had been paid up to date.
“We demand an explanation for the discriminatory payment from the management of the hospital, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
“The frequency of industrial actions among doctors in the hospital has drastically reduced, because of the conscious effort being put in place by the body of doctors, being mindful of the collateral damage that comes with such action.
“But with this current situation, what then is expected of young House Officers who, by the end of this month, will be owed three months’ salaries?
“Also, the resident doctors have families that rely on them for their welfare, while others have examinations to finance,” he said.
Also, the President, Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH, Dr. Olawale Oba, said that the doctors had decided at an emergency meeting to issue ultimatum to the management of the hospital to pay.
Oba said that the association issued the ultimatum to the management, starting from Tuesday, to heed the complaints of the doctors.
Also, the South-West National Chairman, National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Akinkunmi Afolabi, said that national body was fully involved in the issue and would give the doctors full support in whatever action they embark on.
“We will support the association in whatever action it decided to take in order to get the management to attend to their plight.
“Though the next action is to embark on industrial action, the association will do everything to ensure it forestalls it,” Afolabi said.
(NAN)
