Professor Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s Health minister

Resident doctors of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) on Tuesday protested against what they termed as poor healthcare system in the country.

The doctors, who came out in their numbers at the hospital, wore black ribbons, saying that it was to signify the poor state of the healthcare system in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the doctors displayed placards with inscriptions as, “The health system is dead, pay us our entitlement”; “Health institutions across the country are in a state of disrepair”.

Dr Christain Adeneye, President, Association of Resident Doctors, UUTH, regretted that the system lacked the needed tools to work with, thereby posing serious challenges to health workers.

Adeneye also decried the situation where doctors were not given their entitlement after putting in their best to provide services for the benefit of the system.

He also issued a one-week ultimatum to the Management of UUTH to pay the two months salaries owed resident doctors in the institution.

The association president said that the doctors were working with full commitment as expected of them and wondered why they were allowed to suffer.

A resident doctor, who preferred to be anonymous, said it was not proper for the government to allow facilities in the health sector to decay to such an unimaginable level.

He explained that the situation was capable of frustrating the commitment of doctors in the country, thereby compelling them to seek for jobs overseas. (NAN)