The Management of Federal University of Technology, Akure Teaching Hospital, Ondo State has condemned the industrial action being embarked upon by the workers of the teaching hospital.
The hospital chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals had earlier embarked on an industrial action, demanding the withdrawal of the hospital’s organogram and the creation of a separate Department of Medical Laboratory Services.
The union also reportedly protested against the appointment of two deputy chairmen of the Medical Advisory Committee for Clinical Services and Diagnostic Services of the teaching hospital.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Public Relations Unit of the hospital, Mr Tope Fayehun, the institution described the ongoing temporary industrial action embarked upon by the members of NUAHP as illegal.
The institution however noted that despite the union strike action, the quality of healthcare delivery to the people remains the top priority of the Federal Government-owned facility.
The statement read, “Management wishes to reassure patients, stakeholders, and the general public that patients’ welfare and uninterrupted healthcare delivery remain the hospital’s highest priorities.
“The illegal, unwarranted and wrong-headed industrial action has significantly affected routine and emergency diagnostic services, resulting in delays in clinical decision-making and compelling some patients to seek laboratory investigations outside the hospital at additional financial and logistical costs.
“Management regrets the inconveniences and distress this illegal situation may have caused patients and their families and is actively implementing contingency measures to minimise disruption to healthcare services across the institution.”
The management noted that all administrative decisions taken by the hospital had consistently been guided by extant public service rules, relevant government circulars, and the hospital’s approved schemes of service.
” These actions were undertaken solely in the interest of strengthening institutional governance, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving patient care delivery.
“The hospital further notes that previous engagements between Management and union representatives yielded 23 mutually agreed resolutions aimed at promoting professional harmony, industrial peace, and improved healthcare outcomes. These resolutions remain valid and available for reference and implementation.
“Management strongly dissociates itself from any conduct capable of endangering patient safety, disrupting essential health services, or compromising the security of government property within the hospital environment.”
The hospital also clarified that the directive requiring staff to submit office and access keys to the security unit during periods of industrial action, was not a punitive measure but a long-standing administrative and security protocol established by a previous administration and reaffirmed by the current Management.
The statement noted that the directive was intended to safeguard hospital facilities, protect sensitive medical equipment, and ensure accountability for public assets during periods of service disruption.
The statement also appealed to the leadership of NUAHP to place patient welfare above all other considerations and reconsider actions impeding critical clinical services, saying the hospital remained committed to maintaining “essential healthcare services through alternative operational arrangements and will continue to provide regular updates to staff, patients, and the general public.”
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