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The University of Benin Teaching Hospital ( UBTH) was shut down
Thursday afternoon when students from the University of Benin (UNIBEN)
blocked entrance to the hospital while protesting the death of a
student who was said to have died shortly after being brought to the
hospital.
The aggrieved students who protested from the University of Benin main
gate to the UBTH gate alleged that their colleague identified as
Chibuike Jerald, a 300 level student of the Department of Philosophy
and Religion gave up as result of negligence.
The students say his death was avoidable and beseeched the hospital in
anger forcing the UBTH security officials to lock the gates to the
hospital to avoid further escalation.
Speaking to newsmen, the leader of the group of protesters who gave
his name Agbolahor Manassehon said their colleague died because of
negligience on the part of the hospital management.
"When he was brought in after complaining of fever, we took him to the
Accident and Emergency Department around 8pm last night and met some
doctors at work. They told us that they could barely help because they
did not have Adrenaline and intravenous. We were given prescriptions
to go and get the medications," he said.
"We searched for the drugs but because it was night we could not get
them on time. By the time we could get the recommended materials we
were informed he had passed on. It is worrying that his death which
was very avoidable was caused by issues as embarassing as a hospital
like UBTH not having syringes and needles.
It has become a common practice in the UBTH for doctors to demand from
the patience before obliging them medical services due to non
availability of basic medical facilities," he said.
He also alleged that the continued industrial disharmony in the
institution has affected the quality of health care delivery as
doctors, nurses and other health workers always exhibit nonchalant
attitude due to poor welfare.
They called on the management of the hospital to improve on the
relationship with the workers in the hospital so as improve the
quality of health care services given to the public.
Some of the placards held by the protesters had messages like, "Ibadin
enough is enough; UBTH is not working; There is no gloves, syringes in
UBTH; Prof Ibadin pay UBTH doctors;UBTH has lost her glory," amongst
others.
The protest comes after several warnings came from doctors at the
hospital who last month wrote a letter to patients informing them of
conditions in th hospital which has made it impossible for doctors
to function seamlessly in their effort to guarante adequate healthcare
delivery.
They listed some of the problems as the lack of materials, decaying
infrastructure and what they termed management irresponsibilty
In March, the Association of Resident Doctors, (ARD) UBTH chapter,
declared a State of Emergency at the hospital due to the acute decay
of administration procedures and state of equipment in the hospital.
Following an emergency general meeting held to discuss issues
bothering on patient care staff welfare and infrastructure, the
executive of the association led by the association Ppresident, Dr.
Eustace Oseghale, said a state of emergency became necessary as
patients coming to the hospital cannot be given adequate service.
“The Association intends to bring to the attention of well-meaning
Nigerians the unavailability of basic consumables in the hospital,
it’s of note that surgeons in UBTH have to struggle with the operating
tables during surgery and the equipment in the sterilising department
are often broken down leaving patients, patient relatives and doctors
stranded. The accident and emergency is not left out as doctors nurses
and patients are often found searching for materials to provide care
with the patients having to go out to source materials most times.
“The call rooms and post graduate library in the hospital are often in
darkness and resident doctors on call have to grapple with insects and
reptiles in the dark call rooms. Patient care is not the only
suffering sector as staff welfare is so bad. The house officers who
just completed their house job are been owed several months of
salaries despite been over worked as they were grossly short staffed,"
he said in a press briefing.
“Some UBTH doctors are still been owed June to august 2013 salaries
despite several appeals to the management these salaries have dragged
for four years. UBTH doctors have been paid percentage of salaries for
months and despite several appeals to management there is currently no
plan to pay the deficits,’ he said.pointing out that the associated
problems started in the hospital since the administration of the
present Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Michael Ibadin, took over
the management of the hospital," he stated.
Last month, senior doctors and consultants who constitues members of
the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)
joined the call for the repairs in the decaying infrastructure and
equipment in the hospital which is affecting the delivery of health
services in the hospital while giving the CMD an ultimatum notifying
him of an industrial action.should their demands not be met.
In a letter dated April 4, 2017 and signed by the association’s
Chairman, Prof. C.A Okonkwo Secretary, Dr. S.U. Okugbo (Secretary),
the consultants said that the failure of management to appropriately
tackle the issue of decaying of infrastructure and equipment at the
hospital, poor working environment and non-implement policies
concerning the welfare of doctors as approved by the Federal
Government for doctors led to their decision to embark on an
industrial strike.
The consultants stated in the letter their grievances as, “poor
working environment in the hospital, as evident by non-functionality
of the Radiology Department (x-ray machines, ultrasound machines),
non-functional Radiotherapy machine, malfunctioning air conditioners
in theatre, epileptic power supply especially to Pathology
department.”
Okonkwo also said in the letter that members of the association are
also “vexed with the persistent shortfalls in salaries of honourary
consultants since July 2016 without any visible resolution in the
horizon.”
Some of these issues discussed during the emergency session resulted
in the association resolving that management should start the
“correction of all inadequacies in the provision of health services in
the hospital X-ray machines and the repair of theatre air conditioners
as well as the provision of equipment for use in clinical and
rehabilitation areas.”
The consultants while giving a 21 day ultimatum to management to meet
all their demands or face a full blown strike reminded the CMD, Prof
Ibadin, that members of MDCAN have been supportive of his
administration and shown patience and understanding with respect to
salaries shortfall since last year even as the hospital is regarded as
the highest grossing internally generated revenue (IGR) in the whole
country.
Some consultants who did not want their identities revealed said they
had it in good authority that the CMD, Prof. Ibadin, whose tenure
expires in June have actively started lobbying the Minister for Health
to give him some extra latitude.
"I will tell you that Ibadin is alredy making serious campaign in
Abuja to get tenure extention and from what we are gathering, he might
likely succeed because the Ministry of Health have always been on his
side against the doctors here. Throughout all that has been going on
at UBTH and with consultants, the ARD and even nurses complaining
about equipment decay and mismanagement have you seen the Ministry
raise an eye brow? This is a hospital for Christ's sake and we deal
with life and death. The loss of this young man who died yesterday is
just the beginning. I tell you, we will record more avoidable deaths
should what we are seeing in our equipment and materials insufficiency
continue, " he said.
Another senior doctor blamed the decadence being experienced in
hospitals on the APC government led by President Mohammadu Buhari
saying he does not care if corruption goes on with the health sector
because the president can never be a patient in a Nigeria hospital.
"Who are we to blame the hospital management led by Ibadin when you
have the President of the country not even trusting the hospitals in
Nigeria to seek medical treatment. President Buhari knows what is
going in UBTH but he is not concerned because he does not use any
medical facility in the country. Right now as we are speaking he has
travelled to the United Kingdom for an ailment that could have been
handled in any Nigeria hospital but he does not care whatever rot
being perpetrated by an corrupt C.M.D because he will never be a
patient in a Nigerian hospital.
But responding to enquiries by the media on the alleged death, the
hospital management neither confirmed nor denied the death of any
student.
The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the University Of
Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Casmir Omuemi said UBTH has always been
up and doing in the discharge of service to the public.
"I cannot confirm or deny the allegation that a student died in the
hospital but that the relationship between the hospital management and
the UNIBEN has been very cordiall," he responded on phone while adding
that the hospital was working in full capacity.
--
*Ahaoma Kanu*
Investigative Journalist, writer, activist and volunteer.
*National Daily Newspaper*
*29B Emina Crescent*
*Ikeja, Lagos State*
*Nigeria*
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