Doctors in Sokoto embark on strike

Resident Doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, have embarked on a one-week warning strike over poor services and allowances.

Speaking to Daily Trust, the President, Association of Resident Doctors, UDUTH’ s branch, Dr. Umar Mukhtar, said the strike was meant to help improve services to patients.

He said the services rendered by the hospital were getting poorer ‘‘in spite the huge amount of money paid by patients’’.

“The facilities are getting bad; you can’t enter our toilets because of their poor condition, the same thing with our emergency ward. The entire environment is becoming less conducive for effective treatment of patients. Patients are made to sleep on bare floor and buying substandard drugs. We want the management to sit up and address these issues. Patients deserve better services because they are the genuine owners of the hospital’’, he said.

He also alleged that resources of the hospital had been mismanaged by few individuals, instead of being used to improve services.

On their salary and allowances, he said they were demanding full implementation of the earlier agreement reached and signed by the two parties in addition to other related circulars issued by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Reacting, the chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Anas Sadir, refuted the claims, saying the hospital has been living up to its responsibilities.

He also said that even with the recent increment, ‘‘the charges are reasonable compared to other hospitals in the country’’.

On salaries, Sadir said the management had implemented all the circulars to that effect. He appealed to the doctors to reconsider their action and return to work, saying their industrial action is paralysing activities at the hospital.

He advised them to embrace dialogue which he said is the best way of resolving contentious issue.

Our correspondent, who was at the hospital observed some patients leaving for other hospitals.