By Haruna Gimba
Resident Doctors at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), said they would proceed on total and indefinite strike on September 15, unless the management address issues of infrastructure decay at the facility.
The President of the hospital’s resident doctors association, Dr. Waziri Aliyu-Dahiru, said at a news conference in Zaria, Kaduna State that, the strike would have started this week, but was postponed due to intervention by elders.
According to him, prominent Nigerians, including Senator Shehu Sani, Kaduna Central and Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Kaduna North, prevailed on the doctors to extend their ultimatum by two weeks.
“Considering the antecedents and reputation of Professor Abdulmuminu Rafindadi, former CMD of the hospital, the integrity of members of his committee, the ongoing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health and other distinguished Nigerians, we hereby extend the ultimatum to September 15, 2016.
“This is to give enough time for amicable resolution of the problem and for the management to do the needful. In the event that the hospital management does not show any commitment at the end of all these interventions by September 15, we shall embark on a total indefinite strike,” he said.
Newsmen report that the resident doctors staged a peaceful protest round the hospital after the news conference, to press their demand for improvement in facilities at the hospital.
They were also demanding for total overhaul of structures, some of which were leaking; general improvement in the hospital’s environment, provision of water and other services. They complained that the general neglect of the hospital had led to loss of accreditation of some of its courses.
When contacted, ABUTH Chief Medical Director, Professor Lawal Khalid, said the management was working towards addressing the problems raised by the association.
He, however, said the hospital was facing the problem of shortage of funds to holistically address the issues raised by the association.
“When you do not have the money, there is no way you can adequately address a problem. However, we are working towards meeting their demands before the ultimatum expires,” Khalid said.
