LUTH doctors decry poor welfare, brain drain
The Association of Resident Doctors in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (ARD-LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos on Wednesday decried non-payment of their full salaries.
Speaking at a press conference held in LUTH, President of the association in LUTH, Dr. Akinkunmi Afolabi said, doctors in LUTH work under the heavy strain of poor infrastructure, poorly defined specifications and irregular payment of salary.
“The motivation of doctors also appears to be relegated to the back burner, more so in LUTH where the management has continued to deny resident doctors their full salary in form of remuneration injustice.
“Doctors have only been receiving 60-70% of their salaries here in LUTH. This anomaly is more worrisome because out of about 50 federal institutions, only 15 including LUTH is the only institution in Lagos that has continued with this unfortunate practice of part payment of salaries.
According to him, other federal institutions in Lagos like the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi and Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta get their full salaries.
“While our colleagues in other centres have enjoyed 100% salaries for several months, the value of the other arrears continue to nosedive with the worsening economic situation.”
Explaining further, Akinkunmi said, the December 2014 salaries were only paid in March 2015.
“Ominuosly, the December 2015 salaries were similarly delayed and paid in June 2016. The untold and unprecedented hardship visited on our members are better imagined.”
Consequently, the association said, about 20 doctors have left the hospital in the last one year.
Afolabi said, that more than half of doctors in some departments of the institution have left for greener pastures either in the United Kingdom or the United States.
The association also called for the implementation of the National Health Act by the federal government as it remains the panacea to many problems in the health sector.
In addition, Akinkunmi called for the implementation of the new residency training template and improved funding of the residency training programme.
“This remains the only solution to reducing medical tourism. If this option is properly harnessed, we will earn foreign exchange from outsiders seeking healthcare in our country.”
