- Protest at Lokoja Teaching Hospital: The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja (FTHL) staged a peaceful protest.
- Doctors’ demands: The doctors called on President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Health to investigate the deteriorating conditions at the hospital.
- Poor working conditions: The hospital’s doctor count decreased from 315 to 43 due to poor working conditions, including temporary contracts, lack of pensions, and hazard allowances.
- Non-functional medical facilities: The hospital’s medical facilities are not functioning properly, making it difficult for doctors to provide adequate care.
- Reinstatement of suspended President: The doctors demanded the immediate reinstatement of their suspended President, Dr. Jimoh Umar.
A protest recently erupted at the Lokoja Teaching Hospital due to the dire working conditions, leading to the departure of 272 doctors. The hospital’s doctor count has drastically plummeted from 315 to just 43, with the remaining doctors describing the hospital as a “slave camp” under the leadership of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Olatunde Alabi .
The protesting doctors are demanding better working conditions, including permanent contracts instead of the current temporary contracts that are renewed every two months. They are also seeking pensions, hazard allowances, and functional medical facilities .
The situation has become so dire that the hospital is struggling to treat emergencies, resulting in avoidable deaths. The doctors are calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, to investigate the hospital’s conditions and take immediate action to address the issues .
One of the key demands of the protesting doctors is the reinstatement of their suspended President, Dr. Jimoh Umar, who was suspended after demanding hospital reforms. Despite an order from the Minister of Health directing Dr. Umar’s reinstatement, the CMD has refused to comply .
