LUTH doctors insist on strike over unpaid salaries

Doctors under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, on Sunday, insisted that they would not call off their strike until they receive their December salaries.

They started the strike on Friday.

The LUTH-NARD President, Dr. Afolabi Akinkunmi, who made this known in a statement, also accused the hospital management of withholding the relativity and upgrade arrears of some members of the association since 2015.

The statement read, “We have not been paid our December salaries and we only received the January salaries when we embarked on a strike. Some doctors have not been paid for two or four months.

“It is a recurrent problem because we have to embark on industrial action before they pay us. That is not fair.”

The doctors also complained about the epileptic power and water supply at the hospital, which they claimed was frustrating their work.

The statement added, “The epileptic power supply has led to the cancellation of surgeries and procedures to the detriment of patients. It also causes a lot discomfort to doctors and patients during consultation.

“We can no longer tolerate the epileptic water supply, which comes with the attendant risk of infection spread in the hospital. Management must also look into the poor working environment in most consulting rooms and unavailability of medical consumables necessary for daily clinical activities.”