Activities at the national hospital Abuja are almost comatose due to the strike embarked by three unions at the hospital insisting that the hospitals conditions of service must be implemented, Blueprint gathered.
The three unions which went on strike on Wednesday last week are the Senior Staff Association led by Kilani Jelili Adewale, the Mathew Otunoko led National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria under the chairmanship Comrade Razak Tajudeen, all of National Hospital chapter.
A visit by Blueprint to the hospital indicated that only doctors at the hospital were at work leaving many of the patients unattended to.
Only leaders of the three unions were hidden in one small office holding their meeting and when our reporter worked into the meeting, he was told to wait until the meeting was over before they could entertain any question.
According to the Kilani, who was chosen to speak on behalf of the unions, the strike started indefinitely on Wednesday last week pending when the management resolves to implement the hospitals condition of service which they declared “inoperable” after preparing it in 2010.
In their meeting on February 27, this year, the unions made the following demands: Immediate conclusion, release and implementation of the National Hospital Staff condition of service, considering the fact that, time is not on anybody’s side as the hospital is over 14 years.
The unions also demanded that hospital management should pay affected staff, the first 28 days allowance, in lieu of hotel accommodation as per agreement of March 8, 2013.
They also demanded that the national hospital management release letters to affected staff on skipping of that Consolidated Health Salary Structure (HESS) to members that had been, hitherto, denied the opportunity, since the implementation of the CONHESS and pay the arrears.
They maintained that no staff of the hospital should be victimized for taking part in the strike. Kilani said there had been lack of commitment on the part of the chairman, but commended the board for implementing promotion of staff as well as upgraded some staff of the hospital who acquired new qualifications while working in the hospital.
On the response of the Public Relations Officer, Dr Tayo Haastrup, that the demands “cannot be met due to absence of budget,” the unions said he was economical with the truth as the conditions of service was prepared and signed by the Federal Ministry of Health, the hospital management and the leadership of the unions.
