We’re not playing politics with strike, UCH doctors tell CMD

The Association of Residents Doctors (ARD) University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan has stated that the ongoing strike by its members is not politically motivated.

Addressing journalists in Ibadan, Sunday, the association’s president, Dr Zakariyah Hussain, said contrary to the claim by the UCH Chief Medical Director (CMD) Professor Jesse Otegbayo, the striking doctors are not playing politics with their ongoing strike.

Dr Hussain said ARD members are not interested in playing politics with the strike as alleged by the CMD, but that they were demanding for their right.

“Our action was not borne out of the desire to play politics but germane intention to get what is right done by payment of our member’s salaries and their enrollment on Integrated Personal Payroll System (IPPS),” he said.

The ARD president added, ” 215 UCH resident doctors are yet to be paid their five months salaries. These are men with responsibilities who worked hard in the hospital in their various departments.

“Some of them contracted COVID -19 during the course of their duties and they have to get medication themselves to treat it. They also have dependents relying on them for survival. We are also demanding that the 215 doctors affected should be enrolled on the IPPS platform so these issues won’t re- occur again.”