Nurses suspend 52-day strike in LUTH

The 52-day strike action embarked upon by nurses at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) owing to welfare and work conditions in Nigeria’s largest health centre has been suspended, bringing with it, an added bonus for its multi-million naira gas power plant to become operational.

The 55-year old health centre prided as Nigeria’s largest teaching hospital, has been plagued with epileptic power supply for years. Nurses also had to down tools on June 10, to press home their demands over non-conducive work environment, unpaid salaries, denied allowances, non-promotion of some personnel, and unavailability of basic necessities to work, even as little as disposables.

The lack of consumables included common basic items such as gloves, syringes and needles, gauze and wash hands before and after attending to patients. Nurses have reportedly been using their personal money to buy these materials, plain sheet and making photocopies of hospital stationaries for continuation sheet and treatment/prescription sheets.

“After extensive deliberations with the federal ministry of health and LUTH management on issues raised by LUTH nurses, leading to industrial action declared by the state chapter of NANNMS on June 10, some of the issues were addressed. Some have been resolved and some are receiving the attention of the honourable minister of health and some other government agencies,” said Adelaja Oluyemisi, LUTH Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNMS).

Adelaja explained that at the nurses congress held on Monday, and having consulted with different stakeholders, it was resolved to suspend the strike for work to resume yesterday after 52 days.

It was also revealed that in getting the hospital’s gas powered electricity plant to become functional, the federal ministry of health and the federal ministry of finance have resolved to provide the hospital management with support in required guarantees for gas supply to commence and for the power plant to become operational.

The 3.48 MW power generating gas plant with potential market value of $4 million constructed in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), under a Public Private Partnership arrangement has till now remained unutilised, since completion in the last quarter of 2015.