There are indications that the ongoing indefinite strike embarked upon by members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka, may not end soon, as the aggrieved doctors are threatening total shutdown of the hospital.

The striking doctors cited the negative attitude of the Management Board and the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Basil Nwankwo, to all their gestures to resolve the crisis.

MDCAN voiced out its frustrations in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Dr Chukwudi Okani, and issued in Awka on Monday.

It accused the CMD of withholding the training fees of MDCAN members for a period of 14 months.

MDCAN urged the State Government to call the CMD to order even as it accused him and the board of not placing any importance on the personnel that would operate the machines, but rather placing more importance on the machines.

According to the MDCAN State Chairman, only one Consultant Radiologist is on full time employment at the hospital.

The statement partly reads: “The board failed to understand that one individual cannot handle Ultrasound, CT Scan, X-ray, Mammogram, training of students, training of resident doctors, training of interns and coping with the administrative work as the Head of Department.

“MDCAN members have made a lot of sacrifices to accept 70% of this template instead of 100% and shall make no further sacrifices.

“We are not going to accept any manipulations to shortchange us again.

“We also feel there are so many hidden facts surrounding this Conditions of Service (CoS) document. It is expedient we see this CoS together with the agreed 70% Revised CONMESS before we can even contemplate suspending this strike.

“The ongoing strike may culminate to a total shutdown of activities in the Teaching Hospital if urgent measure is not taken by the authorities concerned.”

News Express reports that the doctors had on November 30, 2019 embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands for payment of enhanced salaries and proper equipment of facilities in the teaching hospital.

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