The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Dr. Victor Akinmoladun, has said that the teaching hospital remains committed to the ongoing national strike declared by the Joint Health Workers Sector Union, despite the fact that it attends to extreme critical medical cases.
Akinmoladun spoke in an exclusive interview with our correspondent at the weekend in Ibadan.
According to him, the hospital management decided to run some clinical services in view of the sanctity attached to human life and in order not to jeopardise the hope of patients under dicey health conditions.
He said, “We are aware that the Minister of Health and his Labour counterpart are currently brainstorming with the authorities of various Federal Medical institutions. Success or failure of the meeting largely depends on the Federal Government, but we sincerely hope that things will turn out fine at the end of the day.
“From the point of view of UCH, we are fully in support of the ongoing strike. Every unit is on strike, except medical doctors, who are on essential services. This does not mean that we are not part of the strike, but we do what we do in acknowledgement of the sanctity of human life.
“We try to run our clinics. We still see a few of our old patients for review and we attend to a few emergencies. Of course, we refer most of the patients to other hospitals, while we may tend a few VIP cases.”
Also, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, UCH branch, Olusola Sotiloye, said that the Joint Health Workers Sector Union was on hand at the hospital to screen the services being rendered in order to ensure strict compliance with the ongoing strike.
“At the moment, the hospital is only engaging skeletally in medical research and training while doctors handle fringe clinical services,” Sotiloye said.
During our correspondent’s visit, most of the wards at the teaching hospital were deserted as majority of the patients were already discharged in view of the strike, which is in its second week.
