14 October 2008
Lagos — THE strike planned by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has been shifted to October 17.
The Secretary General of the association, Dr. Waris Akinshipu, said that the current 'work to rule' action by members of the association which commenced since October 4 had been extended to October 16.
According to Akinshipu, the postponement is to give the LUTH management ample time to consider the request for adequate security in the institution as demanded by the association.
He added that members of the association had withdrawn their services from the adult and children's emergency wards with immediate effect.
"Failure by management to provide adequate security for the hospital staff will result in total withdrawal of all services in the hospital by all our members.
"The members by Friday, October 17, will go on a one-day total strike, if no changes are seen in the vicinity," he added.
Also speaking, the President of the association, Dr. Olufemi Oyedeji, said the doctors were still working because they had the interest of patients at heart.
"We cannot totally abandon the patients in the wards, we come from families and we put that into consideration.
"We are sincerely asking the management to act quickly as we are not even demanding for money or any other thing. All we need is security for the people working to make us work better," he said.
Inadequate security in the institution, two men attempted to abduct a doctor who was performing an autopsy at the Morbid Anatomy Department.
The doctor was said to have been rescued from the attackers by an armed relative of the diseased.
There had been repeated attacks on medical workers in the hospital carrying out autopsy.
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