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Tag: Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)

  • Court stops JUTH from sacking resident doctors

    Court stops JUTH from sacking resident doctors

    An Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday stopped the management of Jos University Teaching Hospital ( JUTH ) from sacking its resident doctors.

    JUTH, in moving to sack the doctors, relied on the Federal Government circular of 2013, which stipulated that the doctors could serve for only six years.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that the doctors, through their Counsel, Mr Gyang Zi, have objected to that, citing what they said was the “most recent circular”, dated April 20, 2016.

    The 2016 circular allows the doctors to serve for between nine and 10 years, depending on their departments.

    Zi, in an exparte motion, urged the court to restrain JUTH’s management from sacking the doctors.

    He had argued that sacking them without allowing to serve the mandatory 10 years was “a flagrant abuse and violation of the Federal Government’s Circular of April 20, 2016”.

    Justice Waziri Abali, the Vocation Judge of the Industrial Court, who sat on the case on Thursday, directed the JUTH’s management to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive case filed against it by the doctors.

    Both parties are to maintain the status quo until the determination of this motion on notice.

    “The other parties in this matter should be put on notice so that the motion on notice can be heard and determined as soon as possible, ’’ the Judge directed.

    Abali stated that he was a vocation Judge whose assignment would end on Sept. 8, 2017, adding that the President of Industrial Court of Nigeria would assign the case to any judge to carry on with the master whenever the Judges resume.

    The doctors, represented by their President, Dr. Paul Agbo, told NAN that the CMD of JUTH had been using the old circular of 2013, which gave them six years to serve before being disengaged.

    He said that sacking them when their tenure of between nine and 10 years had not elapsed was tantamount to abuse of office and an injustice to them.

  • JUTH conducts free surgeries for 80 persons in Plateau

    The Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), has carried out free surgeries for 80 indigent persons in the southern part of Plateau, according to its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Edmund Banwat.

    Banwat told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Jos that the surgeries were conducted at the JUTH Comprehensive Health Centre in Zamko, Langtang South Local Government.

    He said that the surgical procedures were for Hernia, eye problems such as cataract, and fibroid.

    According to him, both children and adults benefited from the Hernia repairs surgery.

    The CMD said that the hospital also screened people for breast, cervical and prostate cancers, as well as diabetes and hepatitis B.

    Banwat said that the exercise was part of the Presidential Rapid Initiative Programme of the Federal government, specifically aimed at assisting the poor.

    NAN reports that the Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewale, had directed tertiary health institutions to carry out surgeries and screenings targeted at “the poorest of the poor”.

    “To get the poorest of the poor, we established a guideline which we used to assess people in the zones so as to arrive those in that category,” he explained.

    Banwat disclosed that JUTH would conduct a similar exercise in the central and northern parts of the state.

    “Our target is to go round the three senatorial zones before the end of March,” he said.

     

  • ‘Incessant strikes in health sector very embarrassing’ – JUTH CMD

    Prof. Edmund Banwat, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), has flayed incessant strikes in the health sector, describing the situation as “very embarrassing”.

    “The incessant strikes in a key sector like health is disheartening and has become a source of embarrassment to us,” Banwat told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Monday.

    Banwat, who was reacting to the two-months-old strike of JUTH workers, said that government was taking stiff measures to check the trend.

    “The health workers have formed a habit of abandoning their duty posts at the slightest excuse; this raises questions as to our professional vow to save lives.

    “The incessant strikes make nonsense of such professional vows to place human lives over any other vain pursuit bordering on money,” he said.

    To check the strikes, he said that the Federal Government has issued a circular reminding heads of medical facilities of the No-work-no-pay policy.

    A copy of the circular, signed By Mr Danjuma Kurau, Director, Human Resources Management Department in the Federal Ministry of Health, directed all institutional heads to immediately implement the policy as contained in the Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8.

    “The total disregard to this law has contributed in no small measure to the incessant labour disputes ravaging the health sector leading to the loss of several months of service.

    “The health sector is one of the essential services prohibited by law from embarking on strikes, but government has been subjected to much ridicule and embarrassment owing to frequent strikes.”

    The circular quoted the minister as directing that salaries and allowances should not be paid to any staff “who chooses the path of strike”.

    On the strike by the JUTH workers since March 7, Banwat said that the action was “very unnecessary”.

    “We met with the JUTH chapter of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOEHSU) before the strike and have met several times after it began where all the local issues were resolved, but I keep wondering why they are still at home,’’ said the CMD.

    NAN recalls that JOHESU’s spokesman, Mr Mustafa Kabir, attributed the strike to issues bordering on promotion, lack of beds and basic consumables in the hospital, as well as the refusal to regulate the appointment of casual staff.

    Kabir also alleged that Banwat had been very insensitive to the plight of the workers, among other issues.

    But the CMD said that his administration had promoted staff stagnated for more than 14 years, pointing out that other issues of promotion were beyond JUTH and being handled by the national body of the union in Abuja.

    He dismissed claims that the hospital had shortage of beds and other consumables, and challenged anyone with doubt to visit the hospital stores.

    He also rejected insinuation that the mortuary was in bad shape, explaining that the one at the temporary site had been handed over to the Plateau Government, while the mortuary at the permanent site was in excellent condition.

    The CMD also accused JOHESU officials of subjecting members to “unncessary pain”, noting that the JOHESU headquarters had confirmed that issues within the capacity of JUTH had been effectively sorted out.

    On the casual staff, he said that he inherited 200 casual staff and was working with the Federal Character Commission toward regularising their employment.

  • Lassa Fever: Plateau battles to save 2 victims

    Plateau state government has confirmed that its medical team is battling with two confirmed cases of Lassa Fever at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)

    The government has also confirmed that the disease has claimed two lives in the state since 8th January when government discovered the first case of the outbreak in the state.

    State Commissioner for health, Dr. Kuden Kamshak who stated this while giving update on the spread of the disease in Jos on Sunday said the state government has successfully managed the spread of the disease in the state.

    Dr. Kamshak said, “So far the disease has killed two people, not three as earlier reported.

    “Out of the two deaths we reported last week, only one of the victims tested positive to Lassa Fever, the blood sample of the second victim tested negative in Benin where we took both sample for confirmation.

    “The first death was recorded in a private hospital in Mangu and the second death was the victim that died in JUTH.

    “But right now we have two confirmed cases of Lassa Fever and the patients are being managed at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)

    “Then we have isolated about 70 people whom we suspected had contact with the two people already killed by the disease. They are close relations of the two victims as well as some health workers who had direct contact with victims.

    “We are keeping such people under close surveillance so as to curtail the spread of the disease and so far we are happy to report that the virus has not spread. Our medical team are working round the clock to overcome the situation.” Kamshak stated.