THE ASSOCIATION of Resident Doctors, Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (ARD-KWASUTH) on Friday said its doctors have joined the nationwide strike actions over unmet demands.
Speaking at a news conference in Ilorin, the association’s President, Dr. Abdulfatah Abdulazeez, said the doctors had exercised patience for an extended period to allow the state government sufficient time to address their demands
He noted, however, that the state had permitted the issues and demands to drag on for far too long without showing any real commitment.
“We engaged in amicable communication and meetings with the authority. Our demands were still not met.
“Recently the National Association of Resident Doctors embarked on a nationwide indefinite strike. They have a 19-point agenda that are pertinent to all the resident doctors in Nigeria,” he said.
Abdulazeez pointed out that there are some demands peculiar to KWASUTH which had been presented to the state government.
He commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his efforts, including payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and commencement of the Consolidated Medical Salary 2024.
He, however, observed that there are still some areas that need to be addressed, which continue to pose a challenge to the healthcare system in Kwara.
“The first demand we issued was manpower and staffing. There have been chronic depletion of doctors employed and the ones on ground are leaving.
“This is being compounded by the fact that the House-Officers are the cushion to the effect of lack of manpower,” he said.
Abdulazeez lamented that many doctors are leaving the hospital due to exhaustion, burnout, and inadequate amenities such as water and electricity, both of which remain unstable..
“The remuneration is too low; in all the neighbouring states healthcare institutions, Kwara is the one with the lowest pay for House-Officers, which is to the tune of N220,000 only.
“The doctors in this hospital are overworked. The World Health Organisation has recommended a doctor ratio of one to 600, but in Nigeria, it is one to 10,000.
“Here in KWASUTH, it is worst, you can imagine the amount of stress we’re going through. We’ve given ample time for the problem to be addressed, but it is lingering. It’s becoming a chronic and serious problem,” he said.
According to the president, doctors are not superhumans; he added that they get tired like everyone else, noting that “a tired doctor is a dangerous doctor.”
He said that the call rooms where doctors rest after long shift hours are deplorable, just as the call meals being served are not fit for consumption.
Abdulazeez assured government of their (doctors) commitment towards the development of the healthcare sector in Kwara, promising to strengthen partnership with government to improve the system.
In his reaction, the Deputy Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Obalowu Ismaila, stated that the management of the KWASUTH is aware of the decision by the ARD to join the nationwide strike.
“They are mandated by their national body to join the nationwide strike and since they belong to the same association, they had their meeting yesterday and they informed us they will be joining,” he said.
He said that the ARD-KWASUTH has been receiving the support of the state government, while reiterating the government’s resolve to address the issue of manpower.
Ismaila however pointed out that the issue of Japa syndrome is not peculiar to Kwara but has become a nationwide challenge that Nigeria is grappling with.
“The governor has given approval for us to employ more doctors and the approval is still standing, but the problem we are having is the Japa syndrome.
“Most of the doctors, even when they are in medical school, are already writing foreign exams and by the time you’re waiting for them to finish internship, they are gone,” he said.
Ismaila urged the doctors to remain patient, explaining that the state government is developing special programs for young doctors to ensure they serve the state for some years, noting that the initiative would operate as a bonding program.
This, he said, would ensure that more younger doctors stay behind to work for the Kwara government. (NAN)
