-As Consultants, Residents Doctors and Nurses Resign En masse
The last is yet to be heard about the ongoing mass resignation of medical personnel at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology University Teaching, Ogbomoso, as the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has alerted that the development could lead to the extinction of the tertiary health institution, if no urgent step is taken to prevent it.
According to the MDCAN chairman, Dr. Afolabi Salawu, who blamed the situation on poor funding of the hospital by the Oyo State Government, he said the hospital might become extinct if there was no urgent intervention from the government to reverse the trend.
Speaking through a press statement, the MDCAN noted that the teaching hospital was established by the administration of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, to cater for the tertiary health needs of the people. It was set up as a model, adding that if completed, it would be one of the leading hospitals in Nigeria, but the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso had remained far from that due to the non-completion of many projects and non-supply of some equipment to the health facility.
The statement read in part, “Despite this exceptional dedication, commitment and financial sacrifice by staff and some Oyo State indigenes, who have come to our aid to complete some abandoned projects in the hospital, our governor is yet to visit the hospital and have an on-the-spot assessment. The government only relies on stories by enemies of Oyo State, who malign the hospital as being a wasteful project.
“The government of Oyo State is now planning to close down the hospital and cut subvention to the hospital in January 2016. Also, all categories of workers have been subjected to between 28 per cent and 50 per cent salary till date and the last salary paid was that of August 2017 as of November 30, 2017. Several efforts have been made to appeal to the governor to reverse this anomaly as all other health institutions in Oyo State are receiving full salary and subvention.”
They added, “The aftermath of this action of government has led to massive brain drain in the hospital with an exodus of young consultants trained by the LTH. Many senior consultants too have left. Also, residents in training and a large number of nurses have also been absorbed by other institutions.
“It is with dismay that we receive the news that despite the massive brain drain already happening, the government of Oyo State has completed plans to further downsize the hospital from a teaching hospital to a state-owned general hospital without the full complements of a teaching, specialised services and research component of the present institution.”
