The management of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu has dismissed as totally false, claims by striking members of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, in the hospital that surgeries are conducted with candles and torch-lights, saying that apart from power supply from public power source, which has improved since the past few months, the hospital has functional generating sets, powering various departments of the hospital.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr. Cyril Keleze, the management also faulted the claim that activities in the hospital had collapsed, saying that even when resident doctors decided to embark on strike, the Open Heart Surgery programme was in progress while other departments are rendering services.
Patients in various wards, he said were still being attended to by the consultants while nurses were at their duty posts.
The management said that it was unfortunate that ARD embarked on smear campaign against the management over water supply at a time that functional boreholes had been provided and the age-long problem of water supply had been solved.
“It is unfortunate that the President of the Association of Resident Doctors at UNTH, Dr. Ifedinso Ugwoke decided to embarked on lies and falsehood in his bid to diminish the rising profile of the hospital which was made possible by ongoing transformation by the Dr. Christopher Amah-led administration.
“In as much as the doctors under the ARD have rights to make case for the payment of what they claim to be their entitlements, it is not enough to engage in a smear campaign against the management that has worked hard to improve service delivery in the hospital.
“It is laughable that the ARD President could turn a blind eye to the clear fact that water from the motorised boreholes recently sunk by the management is now being used in the hospital. It is ridiculous to also claim that surgeries are carried out with torch and candle lights at a time power supply has appreciably improved and the generating sets are functioning.
“We hereby warn some agents of destabilization among the ARD members, who are being used by some top staff, who failed in their ambition to occupy the seat of Chief Medical Director in the past, to desist from further media attacks which are targeted at running down the hospital that has remained the last hope for the people of the South East,” the management stated.
The UNTH Chief Medical Director, Dr. Amah had while speaking on the activities of the hospital, weekend, said that over N120 million spent on services handled by contractors per annum had been saved through a review carried out recently. These services were reviewed with effect from July this year.
Dr. Amah said that the review followed the expiration of the five-year contracts in the area of laundry, cleaning and security services in the hospital.
He added that the review had also infused competition and efficiency in the system as more than one contractor now handle these services within the hospital.
