Protesting Imo health workers shut down services at specialist hospital

Medical and health workers at the Imo state Specialist Hospital, Owerri have embarked on an industrial action to protest against the alleged 30 per cent cut in their salary.

The workers numbering at least 300 have sustained the protest for about 11 days, to press home their demand for the reversal of the pay cut by the state government.

The protesters comprising of medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists, said they would sustain the protest until their demands are met by the state government.

They barricaded the main entrance to the hospital, making it difficult for patients to get medical attention.

Speaking to newsmen, the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee, Dr. Elias Anumudu, said that the protest and strike would be sustained until government restores their salary to 100 per cent.

Anumudu urged Governor Hope Uzodinma to consider the plight of workers in the hospital and quickly pay their full salary with the arrears, including promotion arrears as applicable to their counterparts.

He said: “We embarked on this protest since last week Monday and we have also been on strike to make government see our plight. We will be grateful if the government will resolve the problem immediately to enable us to commence work in the hospital.

Also, Dr. Justin Echendu said that health workers have continued to suffer marginalisation, in spite of their performances and commitment to excellent service delivery.

Echendu said that the administration of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha promised to reverse the salary cut, but failed to do so before the Supreme Court ruling that sacked it from office.

“We were promised that we will get full salary in January, but unfortunately we have received the salary and the situation is still the same,” she said.

It would be recalled that former Governor Rochas Okorocha had during his tenure slashed the salaries of the workers in the hospital by 30 per cent.