'Please return to work' - UCTH Medical Director pleads with striking doctors

In the wake of the strike embarked on by workers at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, the Chief Medical Director of the institution, Dr. Thomas Agan, has appealed to striking resident doctors to return to work.

The Association of Resident Doctors went on strike last Thursday.

He said although the striking doctors had given management a 21-day ultimatum before embarking on the strike, he had made efforts to avert it but was constrained by inadequate funds.

While acknowledging the challenges with the welfare of doctors, he said most of the problems emanated from the non release of overhead cost by the Federal Government, even as he noted that the internally generated revenue of the hospital was quite low because the hospital is the cheapest in the country.

He however urged the doctors to reconsider their position in the interest of the patients.

According to Agan,

"The Resident doctors are demanding sponsorship arrears, utility arrears and skipping for doctors. We acknowledge that these are genuine demands but these issues have to do with funding and we are waiting for the federal government to release funds and give us directive on what to do,”

He said once all the fees collected in the hospital were reviewed upward, the hospital would be in a position to fund some aspects of the demand.