The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has said that 45 medical doctors have moved from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Anambra State, to other medical institutions in two years.

Chairman of MDCAN, COOUTH chapter, Dr. Chukwudi Okani, made this known yesterday at a news conference in Awka, the state capital.

According to him, 10 consultants and 35 resident doctors were affected.

Doctors in the hospital started an indefinite strike on November 30 over the alleged poor condition of service and non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale.

Okani said the major factors responsible for the movement of the doctors were the inadequate reward and lack of job satisfaction.

He said, “We are not happy with the development in the hospital. The strike is still on.

“The consultants are not working, nothing can be said to be going on.

“We have not heard anything concrete as regards our demands. All we have heard is rumour but we have not seen any change in our salaries.

“Sadly, some of our members have left and we fear some others are on the line. As I speak, about 35 resident doctors and 10 consultants have left the hospital to other places in the last two years.

“These are verifiable. It is unethical to release their identities to the public.

“There is a need for urgent action to forestall a system breakdown in the hospital. We need these trained men to man the machines because it is hard to train a doctor, more so, a consultant.” (THISDAY)

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