Video: Protest Rocks UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital Over Plan To Privatise Medical Services

•As Workers Threaten To Shut Down Hospital From Monday

Activities at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, UNIOSUNTH, were disrupted on Thursday as members of the Joint Action Committee of Unions staged a peaceful protest over an alleged plan by the hospital management to privatise key departments including the laboratory, kitchen, ICU, radiology, morgue and security.

The protest followed what the unions which included the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Medical Health Workers Union, Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, described as a breach of agreement reached with management during a meeting held a few days earlier.

Addressing journalists at the protest ground, Olumide Faniran, an elder of the unions and member of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, said the agitation was over a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, which the leadership of the hospital is embarking on without carrying stakeholders along.

He said the unions had repeatedly engaged management to avail them the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, guiding the PPP, but were denied access.

“Actually, the agitation is over a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, which the leadership of the Teaching Hospital is embarking on. When you are undertaking something of that nature, you carry stakeholders along. The reverse is the case here.

“On this issue, we have been engaging management to avail us the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, but unfortunately, we have not been given that opportunity,” he said.

Faniran alleged that despite agreeing that the status quo should remain, management went ahead to conduct interviews for workers to be engaged in the proposed private laboratory.

“We had a meeting with them a few days ago, where we agreed that the status quo should remain. But to our surprise, they conducted interviews yesterday for the intending workers they want to engage for the private laboratory,” he said.

The union leader argued that there was no justification for a private laboratory when the existing one was generating over 100 per cent revenue.

He also accused management of shifting blame to the unions for shortages of consumables and reagents.

“Yes, they want to set up a private laboratory when we already have our own laboratory that is generating over 100 per cent revenue. The little lacuna they are now stressing is their own fault. They are asking why we failed to produce consumables and reagents,” Faniran said.

Faniran said they had earlier been invited for a meeting with the hospital board by 10 a.m. on Thursday, but were later told at 2:30 p.m. to submit a position paper instead.

“This morning, we were told that we would have a meeting with the board by 10 a.m. We converged since 10 a.m., only to be told around 2:30 p.m. that they were not interested in seeing us and that we should forward our position to them and that they would call us later. We said this is an aberration,” he said.

Following the development, he noted that the unions convened a Congress and resolved to embark on a peaceful protest with the hospital board forced to adjourn its meeting and the Chief Medical Director’s attempt to address protesters was rejected.

“Our demand now is that we do not want Public-Private Partnership. Let us maximise the opportunity that is on ground. Provide reagents and consumables to us, and we are ready to work,” he said.

The unions warned that if their demands are not met, they would embark on an indefinite strike from Monday when a 14-day ultimatum issued earlier expires by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

READ ALSO

•Group Passes Vote of Confidence on UNIOSUN VC, Lists 70 Projects Under His Watch

•Ooni Urges New Osun CP To Prioritise Peace, Community Collaboration

“That is why we are now resisting. Radiology, ICU, Morgue, Kitchen and Security are all affected. If they fail to adhere to our demands, we have no option than to embark on strike on Monday because the 14-day ultimatum given earlier will expire by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday,” Faniran said.

When contacted, the chairman of the Governing Board, UNIOSUNTH, Niyi Owolade, said the issue will be resolved amicably, describing the PPP arrangement as not strange to modern hospital services in Nigeria.

Owolade said, “we are meeting with the unions next week. The issue will be resolved next week.

“The board came into the conclusion after an approval by the governor that we should have a Public Private Partnership and we have started the discussion bit not yet completed the discussion. There is nothing special they have to be well educated about it.

“This is not the first place where PPP will be implemented. They have started in Ife, Ibadan. Most teaching hospitals in Nigeria have PPP. There is no much ado about it.