AKURE – Patients at Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State may need to seek medical services from the state General Hospital and private hospitals as residents doctors in the hospital embarked on a 2-week warning strike to press home their demands for engagement of more personnel.
The striking doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) resolved at their general meeting to go on a warning strike in order for the management of the health institution to heed their call for employment of more personnel.
President of the union, Dr Olaopa Olutobi Gideon, disclosed that medical personnel in the tertiary hospital were working under undue strenuous condition. He noted that the warning strike became necessary in order to make the management respond to their request for more hands.
Dr. Olaopa, who disclosed that there were about 300 doctors and health officers in the hospital in the past, but only 80 resident doctors and health officers are currently in the hospital.
He said: “Now one person is doing the job of five persons. We have been on this issue since last year. The situation keeps getting worse because a lot of people are leaving the system. There has not been any employment in the FMC, Owo since 2018. Employment of additional 200 doctors and health officers will solve the problem.
“They are also not paying for our extra work. We are doing duty call every day..
“We implore the management and all relevant offices of the Federal Government to ensure the employment of the resident doctors and health officers to the hospital to relieve the severe shortage of manpower and overwhelming work load being faced by our members in the hospital.
“That the Association can no longer bear the burnouts being experienced by its members and requests that recruitment of resident doctors and House Officers be commenced in earnest.
“The management should provide a befitting accommodation fortified with requisite amenities for those currently being posted to Akure Annex and that the association executives should certify the standard of accommodation before acceptance.”
However, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Liasu Adeagbo, could not be reached, but the Spokesman for the hospital, Olufunsho Ijanusi, confirmed the development.
He disclosed that the management of the hospital was meeting with the leadership of the union, assuring that the issue would be resolved earnestly.