allAfrica.com: Nigeria: University of Jos Doctors Suspend Strike (Page 1 of 1)

RESIDENTS RDoctors at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH) have suspended the strike action they started in January.

About 60 of the Resident Doctors were sacked for involvement in the strike which paralysed medical services in the hospital.

But the management of the university teaching hospital intervened and with the support of the House Committee on Health, the sacked doctors have been reinstated. Speaking to Vanguard in his office, the Vice President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) University of Jos Teaching Hospital branch said that the reinstated doctors were recalled back to work unconditionally.

He, however, added that ARD decided to suspend the strike because of the need to trust the members of the House Committee on Health and other top government officials involved in various efforts made to end the strike.

As he put it, "we decided to suspend the strike because we want peace to reign and also because of the calibre of those involved in the search for peace. As you might have known, those who attended the March 6 meeting in Abuja included high cadre officials from the Budget Office, Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Health was there and we had members of the House Committee on Health in attendance.

They informed us that the money made available to the management of the hospital cannot cover payment of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale (CONTISS) for the month of March. They agreed that money will be made available to the hospital to be able to meet our demands. But the question our people are asking is how were other similar institutions able to pay. We are also wondering why the supplementary budgetary-allocations did not fully take into consideration the quantum of funds to meet our demands."

Vanguard asked him whether ARD got a definite assurance as to the time its demands will be met. "No, they did not give us any specific time. They merely assured us that the money will be paid. But I can tell you that we are not going to wait indefinitely. We will give them some time to sort things out after which we will hold a meeting to plan our next line of action."

The Chief Medical Director (JUTH) Dr. Ishaya Pam confirmed that the sacked doctors were reinstated unconditionally. He spoke to Vanguard on phone because he was in Abuja by the time Vanguard got to his office. he requested for another visit to his office so that he could grant interview to fully explain the details of the present situation.

"As I am speaking to you now I am in Abuja so I want you to give me two days for me to make contacts and get back to you so that we can fix an appointment for interview to give you all the details of the present situation, Dr. Pam told Vanguard.

The sequence of events that led to the strike started on January 12, 2008. On 15 January, the ARD wrote a letter to the Health Minister. The letter said, "we wish to bring to your notice an impending crisis in the Jos University Teaching Hospital. This situation has arisen because of the refusal of management to pay Resident Doctors the outstanding arrears of CONTISS as approved by the Federal Government.

All attempts by the Association of Resident Doctors to amicably resolve this matter have been rebuffed by the management which has resorted to threats of sack, queries, blackmail and propaganda instead of tackling the matter at stake.

The issue at stake is why is Jos University Teaching Hospital the only Federal Tertiary Health Institution which has underpaid its Doctors? While we not that Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigeria Association of resident Doctors, (NARD) and MDCAN have all rejected CONTISS pay package in so far as it is the current pay package, justice demands that its implementation be above board and without prejudice to any group. We use this medium to appeal to you to bring about a quick and amicable resolution of this situation because we may be forced to withdraw our services as a result of the attitude of JUTH management."

The Resident Doctors had to go on strike before they were invited to Abuja through a letter dated 28 January 2008. The letter was signed by Dr. Roland Oyedepo, Director of Administration and Supplies of the Federal Ministry of Health. On the same 28 January the management of JUTH stopped deduction of union dues from the salaries of ARD members. The memorandum to that effect was signed by the Director of Administration Jos University Teaching Hospital, Mrs Theresa Daswan.

That move however did not stop the Resident Doctors from pressing on with their strike. That development forced management to sack about 60 Resident Doctors and advised for qualified hands to replace the sacked doctors. But peace returned to the institution when the House Committee on Health intervened.

The Resident Doctors were seen at work last week when Vanguard visited the hospital. Dr. Pam Victor on behalf of the Resident Doctors told Vanguard that the situation on ground now can be described as an uneasy calm. As he put it, k"we are back at work quite alright and I can confirm that our sacked colleagues have been re-instated but we have no firm commitment by the authorities as to a definite time when our demands will be met. This means that after some time the matter may come up again."

The situation at JUTH is unfolding at a time the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC is investigating how some top officials of the Ministry of Health shared N106 million surplus funds in the 2007 budget. The Health Minister, Professor Adenike Grange was said to have denied any involvement in the scandal.

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