Doctors’ Strike: Patients At ESUT Teaching Hospital Relocate To Private Hospitals

Relatives of some patients on admission at Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Parklane, are relocating them to private hospitals following the ongoing strike by resident doctors across the federation.

The strike began August 2.

The hospital was not a beehive of activities as usual on Wednesday when our correspondent visited as the strike by resident doctors is gradually crippling medical activities there.

Jude Ngbo told our correspondent that, “I have taken my mother to another hospital. Our leaders are insensitive to the health needs of the populace. I wouldn’t expect less when even those we look up to travel overseas for medical attention.”

A nurse, on condition of anonymity, said, “Many patients are being evacuated. We still render medical services, but ESUT Teaching Hospital is always overwhelmed by patients because it is the only tertiary health institution in the heart of Coal City. It is also affordable.”

A lab scientist, who does not want to be mentioned, stated that, “The bulk of work is on resident doctors. Consultants are paid higher for doing very little. Our patients are being discharged at will. We advise them secretly to seek medical services outside, depending on their condition.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the teaching hospital, Tuesday, called on the hospital management to employ a minimum of fifty new house officers to improve health services in the institution.

The association also called on the chief medical director of the teaching hospital to desist from issuing queries to the leadership of association for lawful actions taken by the congress of the association.

These were among the ten-point resolutions of the association in a communiqué after its emergency general meeting held on August 2 this year.

The communiqué, signed by the association’s president, Emmanuel Edoga, and the general secretary, Chukwunonso Ofonere, advised the state government to employ the recommended house officers from the ‘newly inducted medical doctors from ESUT College of Medicine’.

It listed departments that needed to be beefed up in the hospital as surgery, psychiatry, anaethesia, ophthalmology, paediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology and otorhinolaryngology.

Other resolutions, according to the communiqué, are: “That the management of ESUTH Parklane should properly place the remaining stagnated medical officers in terms of seniority and arrears paid.

“That the management of ESUTH Parklane should pay outstanding advancement arrears owed our members.

“That the post Part 1 senior registrars be immediately advanced, and all arrears owed them paid.

“That the management of ESUTH Parklane should immediately review the procedures and terms for refunds of update and exam expenses, to closely align with the provisions of Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF).

“That the management of ESUTH Parklane should commence the process of the review of hazard allowances for all health workers in the hospital to align with what is being proposed for federal tertiary hospitals.

“To ensure improved internal revenue generation and ensure actualisation of the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan for ESUTH Parklane, the congress will commence regular scored appraisals of progress made in the implementation of the laudable plan.”

It assured that the doctors would continue to ‘work tirelessly to ensure that ESUT-TH Parklane stands tall as a centre for excellence in healthcare, not just East of the Niger but South of the Sahara’.