-Govt ignores workers

Two weeks after workers of the Imo State Specialist Hospital Umuguma, New Owerri embarked on indefinite strike, the hospital has remained under lock and key, with the State Government looking the other side. The health workers downed tools on February 24 over non-payment of salaries for eight months among other issues.

When our reporter visited the hospital on Wednesday, March 5, the hospital was still locked.

However, many patients, including mothers who brought their children for polio immunization where seen in their large numbers hanging around. While sympathizing with the striking workers, the nursing mothers regretted Government’s nonchalant attitude to their plight.

Apart from the specialist hospital, other health organizations in the premises were also affected by the strike. They included, Imo State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (IMO SACA), World Bank etc.

It should be recalled that workers of the Specialist Hospital Umuguma, on Monday Feb. 24, held a peaceful demonstration over non-payment of salaries for eight months, after which they embarked on indefinite strike.

The workers who blocked the gate of the hospital for several hours carried several placards depicting their grievances.

Some of them read: ”Pay us our salaries and its arrears” ”No pay No work”, ”Enough is a enough,” etc.  After the peaceful protest, the workers left for their various homes, thus kick-starting an indefinite strike.

In a resolution the workers reached before embarking on the strike, they regretted government’s insensitivity to their plight and insisted that they can no longer work without payment.

In the resolution which was made available to THE LEADER, the workers wondered where they really belong.

”If it is Ministry of Health, we should be receiving our salaries, when other members of the Ministry of Health, are receiving theirs; If it is Health Management Board (HMB), when workers  of HMB are receiving their salaries we should receive our own too; If it is Imo State Teaching Hospital Orlu, we should also  receive our salaries when they are receiving theirs; If we are autonomous, we should also receive our salaries when other workers of the state are receiving theirs”.

The workers advised the government to send them back to HMB, If it wants to privatize the hospital.

”Anybody can take over this hospital; we are not against it or its management. What we are after is our welfare as government workers; to receive all our entitlements as done for government workers”, the health workers said.

The Leader learnt that the hospital was formerly handed over  to the Special Adviser to the governor on health, Dr.  Sylvanus  Amaechi to manage during which time the workers were owed and the hospital almost grounded.

But last year, the state government intervened and redirected that the management of the Specialist Hospital be handed over to HMB. Unfortunately up to now the proper handover has not been done and the workers are still being owed.

When contacted on phone the Imo State Commissioner for Education Dr. Edward Onyemaechi Ihejirika did not pick his call. But a reliable source in the ministry told The Leader that Governor Okorocha held a meeting with the Health Commissioner and the State NMA president, Dr. Obioha. however, officials of  Umuguma Specialist Hospital said they were not aware of the meeting.

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