Bukola Adebayo
The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, has said it would no longer tolerate any act of ‘indiscipline’ from doctors undergoing residency training at the institution.
This warning was issued by the hospitals management following a fued that ensued between resident doctors and security operatives which left many injured at the hospital on Wednesday.
The management of LUTH had sent security personnel to take over the resident doctors secretariat on Wednesday.
The Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode, stated that the management had been looking for a place to build another ward for patients, but the decision to evict the doctors was taken after they got security reports that the secretariat posed a threat to the smooth- running of the teaching hospital.
The CMD also alleged that a security operative was stabbed, while many others were injured during the altercation with the resident doctors on Wednesday.
Bode said,”We served them a notice in November, 2016. It elapsed about a week ago and we took possession of the place.
“Before then, the (doctors) brazenly threatened the CMAC, Prof. Femi Fasanmade, on Tuesday. No responsible management takes threats lightly. Today, a security man was stabbed and another brutalized. Both of them are receiving medical attention right now. One has stitches all over his body. When doctors resort to this kind of behaviour it becomes worrisome.
“One wonders why the same people that the government trained and paid their examination fees would choose to repay the country like this.”
The Chairman, LUTH’s Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Adebayo Sekunmade, said that though the management had served them two eviction notices to quit the secretariat, they had pleaded with the authorities to give them time to get an alternative venue.
Sekunmade said, “We were attending a meeting at the secretariat around 10 pm on Tuesday when we were alerted to the fact that security operatives were outside to evict us. We stayed there till 2 am. When they got tired of waiting, they left.
“But they came back around 10 am in the morning and attacked those who tried to go in to pick their books and other belongings. They even wanted to take some of us and many were bruised and injured in the process. We have been appealing to the management to give us time to get another place. We had sent many letters after they gave us eviction notices to make our stand known.”
He accused the management of victimising doctors for protesting the poor working conditions at the teaching hospital, saying that they were the only body that has been sacked from their secretariat so far.
Sekunmade also described the notice as “illegal” as it was not issued by a court.
“No other association was served an eviction notice. We have been here since 1985 and the space was not given to us by this management. We were only given a memo, for an eviction notice to be legal, it must be from a court.” he stated.
Our correspondent gathered that the Chairman, LUTH Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Fasanmade, who addressed the aggrieved doctors after the incident, said that the space was to be converted to a crucial unit to serve patients better at the hospital.
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