By ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, Abuja

Doctors employed by the Federal Capital Territory last year are being owed salaries between three to seven months, the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT, has said.

The doctors also complained about suspicious deductions from the salaries of old doctors after they were registered on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

This is contained in a communiqué issued after a virtual council meeting on May 7, 2020 and signed by Dr. Mustapha Ibrahim, the General Secretary of ARDFCTA.

The doctors said they would have embarked on a strike on May 1, 2020, but decided to put it on hold.

The document read in part, “The council noted with dismay the haphazard nature in which the April, 2020 salaries was paid by IPPIS with no prior sensitisation or explanation despite the April 30 deadline for all matters connected therewith be resolved.

“Most newly employed members were still omitted in the payment of April, 2020 salaries bringing the total months owed them to between three-seven months. There is an established community transmission of COVID 19 in the FCT with four of our members already exposed following the confirmation of two cases at Wuse District Hospital.

“Despite Management’s assertion of provision of adequate PPEs across all the general hospitals, it was noted by council that some of these PPEs are still been hoarded by some units as members do not readily access these apparels when attending to suspected cases.

“Exposed members are subjected to a lot of psychological trauma during this period of self-isolation.”

The acting General Manager, Hospital Services, FCT, Frank Alu, neither responded to phone calls nor a text message as of press time. (The PUNCH)