Jos University Teaching Hospital Health Workers  protest, demand JUTH CMD removal

Yakubu Busari

Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) health workers has embarked on indefinite strike calling for the removal of the chief medical director over poor conditions of hospital and deplorable health facilities.

The  health workers  under the aegis of Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU), staged a peaceful protest, demanding for the resignation of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Edward Banwat.

The protesters who went round the city center of Jos, were at the Gbong Gwom palace from where they proceeded to the Plateau State Government House.

State Secretary of JOHESU Comrade Samfi Pius told journalists that they are protesting so that the President should know of their plight.

According to him besides their personal demand, there is also the issues of non availability of drugs and that of the plight of their patient.

Comrade Pius said their work is not like that of the an educational institution where lectures can be taken after calling off the strike, “ours deals with health issues and People are dying because of the attitude of the CMD.”

He stated that they don’t have consumables and lack drugs in the Hospital is causing the death of a patient; “..a drug was prescribed to a patient and it was not available when a relation went to buy it he had an accident and eventually died.”

Continuing he said: “We have involved our national body in the matter, but the CMD had told them that the Minister of Health has instructed him not to enter into any agreement with them any more.”

He said the best way to let the authority concerned is to come out and protest.

“We are going to the Government house to deliver our letter to the Governor, so that he can also deliver it to the President,” he added.

The protesters uniformly dressed in black T-shirts carried play cards with inscriptions, “..no more casualization of staff, bad leadership CMD most go, call on federal government to do the right thing, CMD to resign and go..”