UCH doctors begin indefinite strike

By WALE AKINSELURE

Doctors of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan have commenced an indefinite strike.

The decision to commence what they described as a “total and indefinite strike” was reached at a virtual emergency general meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), UCH chapter, held on Saturday.

The doctors, at the meeting, resolved that the strike shall continue until their 4 months owed salaries are paid and until all doctors are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) payment platform.

It will be recalled that the UCH doctors had embarked on a warning strike from March 15th to 20th on the two issues among others.

President, ARD UCH, Dr Zakariyah Hussain, confirmed the resumption of the indefinite strike while speaking with  Tribune Online, on Sunday.

He maintained that all doctors in UCH are joining the strike except consultants.

The strike is to protest that doctors on the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) payment platform had not been paid their salaries since January.

As contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the affected members on the GIFMIS payment platform, which are yet to be enrolled on the IPPIS payment platform, had been subjected to untold hardship.

Parts of the communiqué read, “The Association of Resident Doctors shall immediately resume the previously suspended strike action.

“That it shall be total and indefinite. That it shall continue until all salaries of our affected members are paid and they are enrolled on the IPPIS payment platform.

“The Executive Council of the Association of Resident Doctors University College Hospital Ibadan, led by Dr Z. T. Hussain, has been working hard to bring an end to these nagging problems.

“Our members on the GIFMIS payment platform have not been paid their salaries for four months.

“Our members on the GIFMIS payment platform are yet to be enrolled on the IPPIS payment platform. The above have caused the affected members untold hardship.

“We appreciate every member of our great association for the support shown during these difficult times. We also appreciate the efforts being made by the hospital management, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, and all others helping to resolve this problem.” (Nigerian Tribune)