Enugu resident doctors to embark on indefinite strike over ‘personnel shortage, insecurity’

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital, says its members will embark on an indefinite strike over the shortage of personnel and insecurity.

In December 2023, the association issued an ultimatum to the management of the hospital and Enugu government, calling for  employment of more doctors.

At the expiration of the ultimatum, the association again extended the deadline to January 30, 2024.

In a communique signed and issued on Monday by Chukwunonso Ofonere, the ARD’s president, at the end of their emergency general meeting, the doctors said their demands were still unmet.

The association also said the safety of doctors and other health workers in the hospital cannot be guaranteed.

“The management should declare a state of emergency on the employment of doctors in the hospital,” the communique reads.

“There should be an urgent approval for the recruitment of Medical officers, resident doctors and house officers in the hospital.

“This recruitment should be focused especially at the accident and emergency department, surgery department, internal medicine department, paediatrics department, obstetrics and gynaecology departments. Resident doctors that have left our institution in the past four years have not been replaced.

“Management should ensure implementation of safety policies to protect its workers against physical attacks and kidnap by restoring the daily police and other covert security personnel deployed to the hospital.”

The association further said the salary increment had not been looked into, noting that house officers were excluded from the hardship/palliative of N25,000.

“We are still back to where we were in 2023 or even worse as plans are on to increase the rents of doctors living in the hospital quarters (one bedroom apartment) by about 375 percent from N8,000 to N30,000 monthly,” the association added.

“This will escalate the already palpable crises and we will be left with no other alternative but to protect the interest and welfare of our members.

“January 31 is here already and the doctors are mobilising for an indefinite, total and maybe protracted strike if nothing is done.”