JOHESU Strike: UPTH Recruits Red Cross, Ad-Hoc Staff

The management of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) says it would recruit Red Cross and other ad-hoc personnel to bring healthcare delivery services to the public.
The management also said that the hospital had lost huge revenue meant for the government as the strike has slowed down health services to the people.
Briefing newsmen on the Joint Health Sector Union(JOHESU) strike and state of the hospital, the Chief Medical Director, UPTH, Prof Henry Ugboma said, the plan to engage Red Cross personnel and other ad-hoc staff stemmed from the directives of the Federal Government.
He noted that the recruited personnel would be mostly deployed to Accident Emergency Unit, Special Baby Care Unit, the Labour and Theatre wards to enhance healthcare delivery to the public.
Ugboma said the management was determined to restore healthcare services in the hospital, and called on the public to always patronise the hospital.
The medical director called on the public to appeal to JOHESU to call off their three-week industrial action and engage in peaceful negotiation so as to save lives.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was working assiduously to reposition the health sector, and end the strike for the benefit of humanity.
UPTH, he said, was open for 24 hours service delivery to the public and appealed to patients to always patronise the hospital for quick service delivery, than patronise quacks.
According to Ugboma, “In order to make sure we meet the minimum need of the public, we are now recruiting Red Cross members and other ad-hoc staff to enhance service delivery”.
The Tide reports that there was no patient on admission as at the time of this report, while only outpatients were seen being attended to by the few staff available.

Chinedu Wosu