Hundreds of patients stranded as workers seal off Ekiti teaching hospital over unpaid N1.6 billion

Aggrieved medical staff of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, locked up the health institution while protesting over alleged unpaid emoluments by the management.
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The medical workers, under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) had gathered at the main gate of the tertiary health facility located at Adebayo area and sealed off the hospital. From early hours in the morning till 12 noon, no worker, including members of the management and doctors, were allowed free entry and exit throughout the time the warning protest lasted.
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The protesting medical staff trooped out in their hundreds chanting anti-government songs and bemoaning the government’s action over the unfavourable plights of workers in the health institution.
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Addressing the workers, the JOHESU chairman, EKSUTH chapter, Comrade Omotola Farotimi, predicated their action on non-payment of salary arrears, cooperative deductions, non-implementation of minimum wage and unpaid leave bonuses.
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Farotimi lamented that cooperative deductions, had not been paid by the management in the last 24 months, thereby increasing the tally to an aggregate of N1.6bn, without hope that the amount would be defrayed in record time.
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“When this government came in 2018, the aggregate of the outstanding deductions was N500 million. But now, it has swelled to as much as N1.6billion.
Another issue that has been agitating our minds is the issue of minimum wage. It has been implemented for workers at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti. Even in Ekiti state, all health workers are being paid, except our members.”
Responding to the situation, the EKSUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, said the management met with JOHESU last week Thursday and reassured them of their commitment to accede to their requests.

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