By Samson Yaki and Muhammad M. Garba
The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, Dr. Yahaya Baba Adamu has expressed appreciation to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FMC Keffi Chapter, for understanding the financial state of the hospital, and consequently, suspending its strike action, as he called on the striking Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU) to emulate ARD, by exercising similar understanding, suspend the strike and come forward for further dialogue, in the best interest of all, particularly our patients.
The Medical Director also denied the allegation propounded and propagated by some uninformed members of JOHESU that he had returned large chunk but inconsistent sum of money to the Federal Government, at a time he told the Union that the hospital do not have money to pay them their promotion arrears
Dr Adamu who expressed disappointment over this kind of false information, described its purveyors as pathological detractors who survive on campaign of calumny. He wondered why he would return money to the Federal Government when all discerning members of the hospital, and in fact, the community, know that he had been running from pillars to poles looking for money to execute ground breaking and unprecedented projects in the hospital that will make it envy of all.
He explained that the hospital does not even have enough capital to complete projects that are on ground and here they are saying that we returned money to the federal government.
Dr. Adamu who spoke in an exclusive interview with Health Monitor, on Friday, said both the striking unions and the management including himself are patriotic and progressive partners, not foes, wondering why two partners on the same cause will be fighting, appealing to them to see how they can shelve their swords in order to end the ongoing strike.
He said the issues the health workers are agitating for are the same in most, if not all the medical institutions in the country, maintaining that FMC Keffi is even ahead of others in settling Promotion arrears. He therefore wondered what was the rationale or who is the brain behind this incessant strike in FMC Keffi.
“There are other institutions that have not paid their staff their promotion arrears as far back as 2015 and they are not on strike while Keffi’s is from 2018, and they are on strike”, he said.
The MD revealed that staff welfare has been the top most priority of his administration which is upgrading that hospital facilities to standard in order to ensure a conducive working environment and condition of service.
“When we came, there were no toilets in some units. We built them. No electricity and air conditioners despite the heat in some offices. We fixed them all.
He however assured the health workers that the management will continue to press home their demands to the federal government for prompt consideration.
The Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU) FMC Keffi Chapter had on Wednesday, declared a one-week warning strike over nonpayment of 2018/2019 and 2020 promotion arrears by the government.