LUTH doctors suspend strike

Resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, on Tuesday suspended their three-week-old strike over non-payment of their backlog of salary.

Dr Emeka Ugwu, the President of the doctors' association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the suspension of the action was informed by the doctors' concern for the patients.

'We decided to suspend the strike in the interest of our patients which we consider paramount.

'It is also in line with our desires to forestall further loss of lives of innocent and well-meaning Nigerians.

'We, as resident doctors, constitute a major workforce of the hospital, and if we continue this strike, work will not go on and we want to avoid further loss of lives,' he said.

NAN reports that the doctors, under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), had on Sept. 6 begun an indefinite strike to press home their demand - payment of about five months' salary.

Ugwu said the doctors had been paid one month out of the several months owed them.

The ARD boss recalled that the hospital management was earlier given a week ultimatum to settle the outstanding salaries before the commencement of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Service (IPPIS) in June.

According to him, some doctors are being owed March, April and May salaries before IPPIS.

'Most doctors could not be at their duty posts because they are financially incapacitated.''

Prof. Akin Osibogun, LUTH's Chief Medical Director, had told newsmen that the management was working with the Federal Government to clear the salary arrears.(NAN)