TheCable

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan,
says its members are not part of the 8 am to 4 pm work schedule declared by the hospital’s joint action committee (JAC).

The association made the announcement on Thursday in a statement signed by John Oladapo, its president.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had disconnected the power supply to UCH over “technical faults and indebtedness”.

IBEDC had said UCH’s debt to the company stands at over N400 million, spanning over six years. But Jesse Otegbayo, UCH chief medical director (CMD), had accused the company of handing the hospital industrial bills.

Oludayo Olabampe, chairman of the JAC, the umbrella body of unions in the hospital, said the staff could not continue like that and issued a notice that staff would only work between 8 am and 4 pm.

The resident doctors in a statement on Thursday, however, said “JAC is a coalition of all hospital unions except the ARD and Medical and the Dental Consultants of Nigeria (MDCAN)”.

“Our attention has been drawn to some publications that UCH doctors have suspended night shift, begin strike on Tuesday. That is not accurate,“ the statement reads.

“There were reports that as a result of power outage, patients’ care is hampered, healthcare delivery became suboptimal, with increased hazard to health workers.

“Against the backdrop of these recent events, JAC issued the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. work directive.

“ARD is in solidarity with all health workers concerning the sub-par working conditions.

“However, it is important to let the public know that UCH resident doctors are at their duty posts, without any working time condition.”