CMD Decries Doctors’ Strike In Calabar

The Chief Medical Direc
tor (CMD) of the University ofCalabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Dr. Thomas Agan, has decried the strike embarked upon by resident doctors at the  teaching hospital Calabar. But said that even though the action was having an adverse effect on the hospital, management was doing everything possible to  ensure that the strike is called off.
Members of the Association of  Resident Doctors at  the UCTH had last week began indefinite strike over alleged management’s negative response to doctors’ strike,  accusing it of treating their matters with kid-gloves.
Speaking on the issue, President of the Association, Dr. Ukweh Ikechukwu, stated that the strike followed a 21-day ultimatum which ended on July 1st 2015.
Among issues raised by doctors of the UCTH now on strike include, better working conditions, the implementation of the sponsorship arrears from 2012, upgrading and automatic stepping up of training and patients care as well as skipping salaries for doctors.
Briefing joumalists in his office in Calabar, Agan stated that the management’s hands were on deck to ensure that things work well at the UCTH .
Agan maintained that most of the demands made by the doctors of the hospital were not within their capacity as they depended on funding from the Federal Government which had not come yet.
“There is no point pretending. The effect of the strike is heavy on the patients. The consultant doctors are around but would not provide the maximum attention the patients would require,” he said.
The UCTH boss admitted that what is happening in the health sector is although quite embarrassing, especially as doctors who took the Hippocratic Oath to help patients said once funds were released in the next few days, it would be sorted out.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar