The alleged inability of the Delta State Government to pay the resident doctors at Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara their due for various sponsorships, others, has paralysed activities at hospital in the last two weeks.
The striking doctors insisted that the state government and management of DELSUTH must meet their demands for the smooth running of the teaching hospital, especially other accumulating debts, lack of trainers/ consultants in pediatric department.
A letter addressed to the state government through the state ministry of health by the president, Association of Residents Doctors,( ARD, DELSUTH) Dr Jerry Isogun, a copy, which was made available to newsmen in Asaba, the association outlined most importantly lack of trainers/ consultants in pediatric department as its currently affecting proper training for specialist doctors, medical students and effective specialist care to patients, urgent employment of pedestrians, commitment of the state government to secure accreditation for some of the departments including surgery, internal medicine (subspecialties) , maxillofacial and ophthalmology as reason for its industrial action.
Part of the of the letter reads: “This development has resulted in sending most of the senior registrars to other hospitals in other states, thereby diverting the services meant for Deltans to other citizenry even though they are being paid by the state government, these doctors are displaced from their families and loved ones with all the attendant financial and psychological stress, as we speak the state government is owing resident doctors well over N50Million for various sponsorships due to resident doctors and more debt is accumulating as more residents qualify for outside posting and examinations.”
But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, however, assured that the state government was committed to addressing the issues raised by the resident doctors and urged the striking doctors to go back to work.
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