LUTH doctors, management differ over salary arrears

Doctors at the Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, have alleged deliberate skipping of December 2015 salary against the hospital management.

The doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), LUTH branch, said that though the January salary was paid last Friday shortly after they raised alarm over two-month arrears, management had withheld their December entitlements while their counterparts across the country have been fully paid.

But in reaction to the allegation, the LUTH management has said that the delay in payment of December salary was not unique to the hospital.

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof. Chris Bode, in an open letter stated that LUTH, along with the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC) Ile-Ife; Irrua Specialist Hospital; Federal Specialist Hospital, Ido-Ani and some other Federal hospitals experienced a delay in payment of December salaries due to shortfall in personnel emoluments in 2015.

“And that Shortfalls were experienced from the central pool from where government platforms pay some medical workers (GIFMIS) and not because of what any hospital did or failed to do,” Bode said.

President of ARD-LUTH, Dr. Akinkumi Afolabi, said that there had been agitations for a very long time on the issue of salaries in LUTH.

Afolabi said: “I can authoritatively say that OAUTHC have gotten full December salaries as we speak, so we are puzzled on how salaries are being skipped. We do not know weather it is the new mode of payment by the Federal Government.”

Continuing, he said: “The last time we got paid was in November, and the next salary we are getting is in January, and even that of January is part payment.

“What we are being paid is not what our grade level says, and that is why we regard it as part payment of salaries. And this has informed our asking of questions about reasons for perpetual delay in salaries at LUTH as compared to other Federal hospitals amidst other challenges,” Afolabi said.

The president said further that there were differences in taxation, poor quality of call duty food and poor state of call duty, saying, “where resident doctors pay more tax than other worker in this hospital, is against the principle of natural justice.”

“And more over, our call duty rooms are in very bad shapes and I’m not aware of any renovations going on anywhere,” Afolabi said.

The management, however, debunked allegations of any form of crises in the hospital concerning the delayed salaries, as well as difference in taxation, poor quality of call duty food, poor state of call duty rooms among others.

“The situation has been going on for the past few months and it is part of the nationwide financial difficulties the new government is trying hard to ameliorate,” Bode said.

Further addressing the issue of salaries in the letter, it was also noted that the CMD via social media viz communicated to all LUTH doctors on Friday 5th February 2016, saying, “January salary has been paid and I am glad we are beginning to receive notifications to that effect. The current fund paucity is nationwide and I thank you for your patience while Government strives to remedy the situation. We have been assured December 2015 payments will also be made as soon as possible,” the management said.

“Thus, for the ARD President to stand in front of the press on Friday 5th February 2016 and tell Nigerians that his Association was owed two months’ salaries was a blatant lie as his Association Members had received their salaries from the Federal Government in the night of Thursday 4th February, 2016. We should praise this Government for its gallant efforts in these trying times.”

According to the LUTH management, the issue of different taxation was explained as: “During the last Administration, the tax issue came up after some arrears were deducted form salaries of workers in LUTH, following the Lagos State’s decision to apply the Personal Income Tax Act of 2011 (PITA).

“This led to a team from Lagos Inland Revenue Services (LIRS, the state tax agency) coming to make a presentation in LUTH for staff and explain the tax act to us. When the Unions still appeared unsatisfied the Hospital Management arranged a meeting with the Head of the Lagos State tax agency (Mr. Fowler), with all Union’s Excos in attendance.

“At that meeting, the State insisted that the tax as applied in LUTH was appropriate because Lagos State had decided to apply the PITA to the letter. It was argued and verified at that meeting that those being paid by the FG were taxed less and that states like Ogun were giving doctors waivers. This was confirmed in a phone call Mr. Fowler put through to his Ogun state counterpart (on speaker).”

And as regards Poor quality of call duty food and Poor state of call duty rooms, it was as well explained that, “The Engineering Department of LUTH has been given a list of repair work and renovation to carry out, some of which are already being done.

“The LUTH Management met with the LUTH ARD Excos three weeks ago and outlined a plan to reduce the number of wasted food and improve quality thru proper audit of those who actually eat the food. This would have taken place Feb 1 but the Exco asked for more time to sensitize members before the new system would come into force,” the letter read in part.