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.”