Assault: UCH Resident Doctors Suspend Strike, Say Violators Arrested

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, have suspended the strike they began on Wednesday.

Osun Defender reports that the association had embarked upon a three-day warning strike following the beaten of one of its members by a patient’s relatives on Sunday.

The Association President, Dr John Oladapo, and General Secretary, Dr Gboyega Ajibola, as well as other executive members, in a communique on Saturday, disclosed that they were calling off the strike.

“The strike, having run its full course of a maximum of 72 hours, ended on Saturday morning.

“All members are to commence work and be at their duty posts Saturday morning,” the association stated in the communique.

Meanwhile, the communique added that the two men who assaulted one of their members at the hospital’s Emergency Department have been remanded at the Agodi Correctional facility in Ibadan.

”They were awaiting the perfection of their bail conditions, following their being charged to court.

“Our executive council swung into action since the assault, which includes closely following proceedings at the correctional centre to ensure justice is obtained for our affected member,” it said.

The ARD-UCH added that it engaged the hospital management to press home their demands.

“The doctors also engaged the UCH management, calling attention to the acute problem of chronic manpower shortage in the hospital affecting all the members.

“The association brought the spotlight on the departments of Haematology and Paediatrics.

“Actions are being taken to rectify this and the process has commenced for the employment of more doctors.

“We are continuing our engagement with the management on the improvement of the security architecture of the hospital, laying emphatic demands on flashpoints like the emergency department, ICU, labour ward, et cetera,” the association added.