The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, says it will recruit “locum’’ (temporary) workers to augment the effect of the JOHESU strike in compliance with Federal Government directive.
Dr Mohammed Alkali, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of ATBUTH, disclosed this on Thursday in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi.
Alkali represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Abubakar Kadas, that the measure was aimed at providing normal medical and healthcare services as well prevent further loss of lives.
According to him, the hospital will recruit the locum staff especially nurses to perform the duties of the striking workers following the federal mandate.
“We have to move forward despite the strike by Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and most of them are our staff.
“At the beginning basic emergency live saving service were carried on because closing the hospital will not be good.
“ATBUTH is the apex hospital in the Bauchi state and closing it will cost a lot of difficulties among the citizens.
“Initially we concentrated on saving lives, but with the current support of federal government we can now run the clinics, maternity, labour room, paediatric and many other departments,” he said.
According to him, attendance registers have been opened for staff willing to discharge their duties and noted that more are coming to put in their best to see that the hospital is working.
“The Hospital since the commencement of the strike 17 April had not stopped rendering services to the teeming citizens.
“With the support of the locum staff the hospital is 80 per cent effective in terms of service delivery,” Alkali said.
The CMD advised the general public to patronise the hospital, adding that “we have more hands that will render services before the termination of the strike.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of JOHESU in Bauchi State, Mr Ibrahim Maikudi, told NAN that the state health workers would soon join the strike in solidarity.
“We are on it, no going back until we receive a contrary directive in respect of the strike from our national secretariat,” Maikudi said.
