Dr. Olatunde Alabi

Richard Elesho

The Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, will no longer treat kid gloves acts of mutiny and insurrection from any member of staff or group, just as it has restated its commitment to discipline, accountability and transparency.

The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Olatunde Alabi made these known in Lokoja on Tuesday while addressing a Stakeholders’ engagement over some infractions between the management and aggrieved staff of the tertiary health institution.

Alabi said the meeting was intended to promote open dialogue between the management, staff, union leaders, and other critical stakeholders, stressing the importance of collaborative discussions to improve healthcare services in the hospital.

He added that the meeting also provided a platform for the stakeholders to provide the necessary feedback mechanism on the hospital’s services.

The stakeholders

The CMD debunked the claims that the hospital was becoming distressed as a result of the lack of qualified medical professionals who were alleged to have left its service due to bad working conditions.

Speaking further, Dr. Alabi debunked claims by the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, that the institution was experiencing an industrial crisis due to staff shortages. He said contrary to claims by the ARD that the hospital had only 43 doctors, the FTHL has 228 doctors currently in its employment.

Breaking down the figure, he clarified that there are 49 resident doctors, 86 consultants, 42 medical officers, 43 house officers, and seven visiting consultants in specialised fields to man areas where shortages have been identified.

“I wonder where they got such negative and unfair information. This is an embarrassment to the hospital,” he said.

The stakeholders

On the relationship between the management and staff of the medical institution, Alabi pointed out that he was not at loggerhead with any union except those constituting themselves into nuisance and not ready to abide by the civil service rules and regulations, adding that the group is a small fraction of ARD members.

“We recruited resident doctors regularly until the government’s IPPIS policy restricted us. Some left due to the ‘Japa’ syndrome, affecting hospitals nationwide,” he explained.

Dr. Alabi admitted that there were challenges concerning the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, (IPPIS), but insisted that no staff salary was outstanding, adding that efforts to pay allowances to resident doctors were also underway.

“I am misunderstood,” he said. “My goal is always to ensure the well-being of the staff and the successful operation of the hospital.”

The engagement was attended by members of staff, labour unions, civil rights groups, and the general public. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to working together for the betterment of the hospital and the larger community.