Tina Amanda
Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Prof. Lucky Onotai, says it has taken proactive measures to ensure that patients do not suffer during the ongoing Resident Doctors’ strike.
Prof. Onotai, who stated this in an interview with newsmen, said since the strike commenced, the hospital is now being run by Consultant Clinical Staff, that took over 70% of services delivery.
According to him, the Chief Medical Director is concerned about better welfare packages for Resident Doctors and is also passionate about patients’ welfare.
He however explained that the strike by the Resident Doctors will affect the smooth running of the hospital.
“The national association of resident doctors are doctors in training and they have lots of issues with the government, we have two categories of medical staff in all the teaching hospitals. We have the medical and dental consultant association of Nigeria which comprises all consultant clinical staff.
“These group of people are the ones that train the resident doctors they are not not on strike because it is not a Nigerian Medical Association NMA strike. We have a strike protocol in place, when there is a strike be it Resident, JOHESU or non medical staff we activate our strike protocol.
“The consultants do the work by putting more effort to make sure the welfare of patients under their care are well taking care of. No patient is being discharged for reason of strike, the staff manpower may not be enough but we go the extra mile to see that patients welfare is sacrosanct.
“Some of us have patients in the hospital, am a consultant for now I will do the work of a resident doctor to deliver excellent care. In as much as the CMD care’s about the welfare of residents doctors he does not believe that government should wait for strike action before engaging the residents positively.
“The strike would make consultants being overworked, they are expected to come to work, run their clinic’s, take their call, operate, those that operate surgical discipline, and those in the medical discipline such as; medicine they see their patient, take their calls.
“Although, the strike may affect other aspects like some elective surgeries, but emergencies will be taking care of, administration of drugs is other area that we really need resident doctors because they are on ground 24 hours as the ground forces.”
