UITH suspends payment of resident doctors salaries over strike

The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has suspended the payment of salaries of the striking Resident Doctors in the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, who disclosed this in Ilorin recently, urged medical doctors operating under the aegis of National Association of Nigeria to be more focussed on their training programmes rather than embarking on incessant strikes over delayed payment of allowances.

He hinted that the Federal Ministry of Health has directed the management of the hospital to enforce the immediate implementation of ‘no work no pay’ policy.

The UITH chapter of NARD is presently on strike over unpaid allowances of its members. However, the local chairman of the association, Dr Ade Faponle has vowed that members of the association would continue with the over one month old strike over non payment of similar allowances enjoyed by doctors in some sister Teaching Hospitals in the country.

Professor Olatinwo, while conceding to the fact that the allowances in question belonged to the category of doctors, said the economic recession in the country called for sacrifice by all Nigerians. He was emphatic that as soon as the economy picked, the owed allowances would be paid.

The UITH boss expressed believed that if there are some categories of Nigerians working without salaries at present then, no worker under the Federal Government’s employment scheme “receiving salaries promptly but having a delayed payment of allowances” should shun his/her duty post.

His words: “This is a critical time in the history of our nation and it a passing phase. In view of this, every Nigerian including NARD members should brace up to the challenges so that the nation could be returned to its glorious era of economic boom.

“Honestly speaking, the government is not saying that it would not pay the NARD allowances, what it is saying is that the members should allow some time with which to effect the payment. Therefore, I see no reason why the members should not bear with the employers and render their services to humanity.”

Prof Olatinwo who said the concerned doctors who are supposed to be under intensive training towards becoming consultants in their chosen disciplines have allegedly shunned entreaties to them to resume work for about one month now.