By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr Monday Igwe, has said the hospital management is committed to staff welfare and career development.

Igwe said this during the hospital’s 2021 Special Thanksgiving Service and Town Hall meeting held at the hospital premises on Thursday.

He noted that the management would not joke with issues of salaries and earned allowances of its staff especially the clinical staff that attend to patients.

The CMD noted that the management in the area of staff career progression had released the first batch of converted staff; and would release another before the end of February, 2021.

“I thank God for the town hall meeting, which is a veritable opportunity for staff to ask questions and receive answers from the management and board members here present.

“For 2020; we have furnished the newly built multiple purpose hall and boardroom of the hospital; we also did a credible internship intake and settled arrears of promotions of staff among others.

“The management is seriously concerned about staff welfare and we are placing premium on it; while asking staff to come up with genuine claims of arrears or any other indebtedness of the hospital to them,” he said.

Complaint of negative attitude to work; the CMD said that he would take it up with the Servicom Unit and ensure that those with attitude of absenteeism and truancy during official hours would be sanctioned.

“As from February 1, myself as the CMD will lead in ensuring that staff complain with Servicom rules and change their attitude to work for the benefit of our patients. It is not good that someone collects a monthly salary without working for it,” he said.

On welfare, Igwe said that the hospital had repaired its generating sets for improved power supply and worked seriously to achieve 24 hours uninterrupted water supply for the use of staff and patients.

On the shortfall of doctors and nurses; he said that the management had been pushing for the employment of more doctors and nurses at the Federal Ministry of Health level.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of the hospital, Chief Shaban Shaibu, said that the renewed peace and focussed leadership in the hospital had made tremendous progress within the last two years.

Shaibu thanked the staff for their cooperation to the management as well as cordial working relationship even in the face of scarce resources.

“What we are witnessing is unprecedented in the life of this hospital and I believe with greater peace and understanding everybody would benefit the most,” he added.

During the special thanksgiving service, the officiating minister, Ven. Sam Ike, said that the hospital had started on a positive footing for the year by thanking God for His sure mercies in 2020 and asking for His grace for 2021.

“You must continue with the sure mercies of the Lord this year. Last year, the hospital did not record the death of any staff even with the COVID-19 threat everywhere,” he admonished.

Highlights of the events were a lecture on “Covid-19 and Need for Everyone to Take Responsibility,” special prayers for the hospital and nation as well as special praise session.

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