
ABU Teaching Hospital doctors protest snake bites, mismanagement
The National Association of
Resident Doctors (NARD),
Ahmadu Bello University
Teaching Hospital (ABUTH)
chapter, Monday staged
a peaceful demonstration
over incursion of snakes and
other reptiles in the hospital.
Leading the protest, the
President of the union, Dr.
Waziri Aliyu, said the protest
became necessary in view of
the deplorable state of
the hospital and non-regard
for their welfare.
He said; “the poor
environmental sanitation
within the hospital and its
environs had led to our member being bitten by a
poisonous snake at the staircase of the surgical ward.
Sad enough, he almost lost his life as he suffered from
envenomination as the hospital could not provide anti-
snake venom for its doctor on duty for over 36
hours after the snake bite”.
Dr. Aliyu explained that facilities at ABUTH are in
deplorable condition, saying that the hospital staff find
it difficult to conduct simple investigation like X-ray,
not to talk of ultrasound or MRI, usually due to faulty
machines.
“This is a hospital that has transfusion unit, which
could not produce blood components due to lack of
cold centrifuge, hence, it cannot be differentiated from
a general hospital.
“We also have the problem of low residency training,
refusal to reinstate the sacked resident doctors,
skipped levels, victimisation of NARD members
following involvement in the directed strike of June
2016, among others. If the management fails to meet
our demands, our members would proceed on three-
day warning strike from today (yesterday),” Aliyu said.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director of the
hospital, Professor Lawal Khalid, confirmed that there
were snakes in the hospitals. He, However, denied that
the hospital’s environment is in deplorable condition.
Professor Khalid said he has received the threat of the
doctors to embark on strike, “but the doctors have
been receiving their full salaries as at when due since
Aug 2015.
“The only pending problem now is skipping, and it has
to do with money. We have met with the Speaker,
House of Representatives over the issue.”