Blackout: Doctors at UCH dispute stopping the night shift

On Thursday, the Association of Resident Doctors at University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, stated that, contrary to what the public mistakenly believed, it has never stopped working the night shift or gone on strike.

According to The PUNCH, the Joint Action Committee, which is made up of representatives from every hospital union save the ARD and Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, has directed its members to work less hours each day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The choice was made to demonstrate against Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company’s planned cutoff of UCH’s power supply due to purportedly unpaid electricity bills totaling N495 million.

In a statement released in the state capital of Ibadan by its President and General Secretary, John Oladapo and Gboyega Ajibola, respectively, ARD stated that it was in sympathy with all healthcare workers with regards to the inadequate working conditions.

The statement read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to some publications in the media that have been misleading the public about the prolonged power outage at the University College Hospital. These reports have stated that ‘UCH doctors suspend night shift, begin strike Tuesday” or similar variations, which are untrue, not accurate and a distortion of the events.

“It has been widely reported that the IBEDC disconnected the power supply to the UCH due to a billing disagreement. As a result, patient care has been hampered, healthcare delivery has become suboptimal, and there has been an increased risk of hazard to all the hospital’s health workers.

“The ARD-UCH stands in solidarity with all health workers concerning the sub-par working conditions. It is, however, important to let the public know that UCH doctors stand at their duty posts, providing essential care and service to those in need.”