News Desk
A group of Doctors who spoke randomly and are afraid for their names to be mentioned because of victimisation has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate and other relevant agencies to immediately commence probe into the activities of Chief Medical Director CMD of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja FTHL Dr. Olatunde Alabi , whose high-handedness, ineptitude and alleged sleaze have caused over 150 doctors to exit from the services of the hospital.
The doctors also complained of the employment of doctors on casual basis, instead of full employment to replace vacant positions as against the directive of the Federal Government .
In their statements on Thursday in Lokoja, Kogi state, they said that the CMD’s harsh and vindictive leadership style which is anti doctors and medical personnel has remained a clog in the wheel of rendering effective and efficient health care service delivery to the people.
They noted that, the CMD’ s constant infringement of the fundamental Human Rights of the the Doctors and his relentless victimisation and bully of all unions in the hospital and of recent , the Executives of resident doctors for exercising their mandate in line with the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria has become a source of worry to the workers in the hospital
They said, among many of his infractions, was queries issued to the Executives of the Association for protesting against his nefarious policies that have deliberately turned the ever boisterous hospital into a shadow of itself which cannot discharge it’s responsibilities of providing tertiary health care delivery to the people
They disclosed that , before his assumption of office, under the former CMD, Dr D.G Eleshin, the Hospital had over 250 resident doctors and consultants, but , he has successively ensured the exodus of over 150 capable hands leaving only mere 64 resident doctors to take care of ever increasing patients.
They added that despite the waivers by the Federal Ministry of Health to recruit doctors to fill the vacant posts, the CMD decided to employ 22 doctors as Locum staff for four years forcing them to renew their employment every four months turning them into factory workers, a practice that is alien to the . health sector even at the time that Doctors are migrating in droves to other lands in search of greener pastures thereby causing doctors to constantly exit the hospital for better places where they can be employed on better platforms.
They alleged that most exited Doctors’ salaries and emoluments have not been stopped and attempt by the Union to know the true situation drew up his anger as he resorted to unconventional means against the doctors union.
” As we speak to you sir, our executives have been facing disciplinary committee meeting including our NMA chairman who also works here primarily and was given query by the CMD. Nobody can speak out now and go Scot free. Everyone is afraid of the CMD and even we cannot mention our names to you”
“Even the SOC of the NMA who had meeting chaired by the chairman and jointly brought out resolutions have started distancing themselves from the Chairman because of constant threat and bully by some people sent by the CMD making it look like the Chairman made a unilateral decision and forged signature when the communique clearly was posted to our page by the assistant secretary and signed by the PRO of the NMA. Everyone now is afraid and wants to save his head “
” Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja was over the years a flourishing Hospital and known as a safe haven, last hope of patients and center of excellence but under the watch of Dr. Alabi it has become a death trap for citizens and patients. The progressive gross shortage of manpower from over 200 resident doctors to just 64 Resident Doctors to cover the entire departments of the hospital. The last advertisement for recruitment of resident doctors was in 2012 and since then , the CMD kept employing locum doctors and making them to renew their employment every four months, which made FTHL unattractive to doctors.
” Imaging keeping doctors whose services are in high demand elsewhere for four years as Locum staff. We have doctors who have been renewing their appointments over four months for the past four years. The Union has shouted, cried and reminded him that the Federal Government has prohibited casualisation of doctors and their employment under the GIFMIS platform to no avail as he upped his oppression, victimisation and hire and fire of any officer who dare to stand up to him.
“Doctors under the GIFMIS platform have been owed months of hazard and minimum wage arrears and these class of employees have never been paid wage award approved by president Ahmed Tinubu till date, even when the FG circular instructed him to defray the liability from the Internal Generated Revenue IGR.
” The CMD in his sinister motives to whip Union and staff to submission was to weaponise disciplinary action against staff. When a staff speak up for his or her rights , he will resort to suppression of the voice of the worker. He has turned disciplinary committee into a tool of oppression in the Hospital. Once a doctor asks for his rights , he will be sent to the disciplinary committee for punishment and victimisation. The most recent was the query to the Executives of ARD at FTHL following several congresses and outcome to the CMD. He deliberately decided not to act on the complaints which led to protest after being notified . Instead of responding to the legitimate agitation by Doctors,he handed over queries to executives and also the leadership of NMA with intent that when you strike the shepherd the sheep would be scattered.
” Dr. Alabi in a bid to silence the voices of dissents against him , our President, the president of ARD and the Chairman of NMA , Dr. Olusola Baoku was targeted. He issued them queries for protesting and granting press interview at the premises of Ministry of Health Lokoja respectively, a press granted to draw attention of the Federal Government to the plights of his members
” Let me tell you for free, there has been reports of constant Collapse of Doctors on duties over heavy workload. All efforts to let him see reasons to lessen workloads on the Doctors owing to dearth of doctors proved abortive.
” The condition under which Doctors work in the Hospital is harrowing. Epileptic power supply, without functional back up generators. It is so bad that Doctors have to come to lounge to receive fresh air because all Air conditioner has been disconnected in the hospital and because of the stuffiness of their offices.
Things continue to move from bad to worst under the leadership of Dr. Alabi and no one has the courage to draw his attention to them. Doctors now work for 48 hour in the Hospital without provision for the call meal even in the face of dearth of manpower and increasing work demands.
” It is now worrisome that instead of these issues to be at the front burner and getting serious attention, what we see are sponsored online dailies by proxies to praise the hospital and recently against our leaders and even the leadership of NMA . We know clearly they are sponsored because those groups and names do not exist anywhere “
” We want you to know we are fully behind our leaders and by extension the Chairman of NMA and his SOC. They have stood their ground against all oppression, threats, victimisation and many Devilish antics to tarnish their image. We have absolute confidence in them and we urge them to ignore distractions and bring us out of this suffering”
However, we urge the Chairman to continue with his staff welfarism, has he is now paying whatever was due to members and distributed bags of rice to members a gesture that have never happened in the past which surge his popularity among doctors, but has polarised the Elders of the Union against him.
They said, with his popular policies and a departure from the past, some former Executives of NMA now became willing ally of the CMD to get him out of the ways, having tried unsuccessfully for fourteen times to impeach him, because workers are seriously behind him, stressing that the recent call for his impeachment would also fail .
The Doctors however appeal to president Tinubu, Professor Ali Pate and other relevant security agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of Dr.Alabi as it concerns the aforementioned grievances and not to sweep it under the carpet.
