The Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, in pursuant of the unanimous decision arrived at the Emergency Congress Meeting, EGM, of the association held on March 27, 2020, has resumed indefinite withdrawal of services effective from 8 am, April 24th, 2020.
A statement signed by the Executive Committee of the association states that the ARD had in good faith suspended withdrawal of her services which they embarked on March 26th, 2020, based on the written approval by the Executive Governor to meet their minimum demand.
“The decision to suspend the indefinite withdrawal of our services was however conditional, contingent upon the full implementation of the written approval from the Executive Governor, in April 2020. This conditionality was made due to an understandable skepticism that the approval may not be implemented in April 2020”.
“Many of our members have received their April 2020 salaries only to be shocked and dismayed that the Enugu State Governor reneged on the written approval even after verbal re-assurances”.
While regretting this auspicious time to embark on strike, the House officers who are front liners in the healthcare sector stated that though their decision is unfortunate and painful given the coronavirus pandemic, the withdrawal of service could have been avoided if only the State Government kept to her words.
The demand of the ARD is a 100% implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, CONMESS, as approved for doctors in Nigeria in 2009.
Their grievances are that while most State Tertiary Health Institutions, STHIS, and all Federal Tertiary Health Institutions, FTHIs, have implemented the new salary scale, implementation in Parklane commenced 5 years after a 6months strike in 2014; the then Governor, Sullivan Chime approve 70% of the CONMESS.
In 2019, there was another upward review of the CONMESS for all tertiary health institutions of which all FTHIs and most STHIs have implemented till now except ESUT-TH Parklane where salary remained still at 70% of 2009 approved CONMESS even after a decade of the present salary review.
On March 26th, 2020, the Parklane resident doctors embarked on indefinite withdrawal of service but called it off the next day following written approval from the State Governor to meet their demands with the April 2020 salary.
Recall that the State Government through the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant, SSA on media on 24th April 2020 publicized an additional 25% payment allowance for all health workers in the state. The 25% of the basic salary he referred to as COVID allowance.
But the doctors maintain that the government only implemented 25% of the 70% CONMESS of 2009!
“We are not asking for any addition, just pay us the 2019 CONMESS as obtainable in other Tertiary Health Institutions,” says the Integrity Group for Better Health in ESUT-TH Parklane.
Now at the ESUT-TH Parklane, the Government approved the hospital used for the isolation and treatment of the two reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 patients in Enugu, only consultants are seen attending to thousands of patients.
The actions with the striking doctors at ESUT-TH is very unfortunate and avoidable as other States are strengthening their health system more than ever in the face of the pandemic.
The ARD further stated that suspension of their service withdrawal action will only come after another EGM following full implementation of the approval with Ref. No GHS/57/S.2/111/270 given to ARD ESUT-TH Parklane by the State Government.
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