A storm of unrest has engulfed the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja (FTHL) as medical professionals rally against the institution’s deteriorating conditions, imploring President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Health Ali Pate to intervene before the facility plunges into irretrievable collapse.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FTHL chapter, once again raised alarm over the dire state of affairs, decrying the deplorable working conditions and inhumane treatment meted out to both staff and patients. They fervently demanded an immediate probe into the hospital’s operational decay, alongside the swift reinstatement of their suspended president, Dr. Jimoh Umar, who was penalized last year for his advocacy on behalf of the association.
Mass Exodus of Medical Professionals Due to Dire Conditions
During a peaceful demonstration on Friday within the hospital premises, Dr. Olushola Baoku, the former chairman of the ARD, lamented the institution’s precipitous decline. He recalled that the hospital previously boasted a workforce of 315 doctors, a number that has now dwindled to a mere 43 due to unbearable working conditions.
Dr. Baoku further unveiled a disturbing reality—many of the hospital’s remaining doctors are shackled to exploitative contracts, requiring renewal every two months, a situation he described as egregious given the nation’s substantial healthcare budget.
“These physicians toil under conditions devoid of pension benefits, career progression, hazard allowances, or even the newly implemented minimum wage award. They endure grueling circumstances, forced to operate in an environment where essential medical equipment remains dysfunctional,” he bemoaned.
He revealed that despite federal directives instructing hospital management to utilize Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to clear outstanding salary arrears, a staggering backlog remains unpaid.
“Some of our doctors have been subjected to this temporary contract cycle for five years, denied full employment despite their unwavering service. Since 2012, this institution has not recruited a single doctor or healthcare worker, leading to a severe manpower shortage across all hospital departments,” he added.
Recurring Protests as Frustration Mounts
Dr. Baoku disclosed that this was the third protest staged by the hospital’s resident doctors within a week, a testament to their growing exasperation. He asserted that despite their resolve to remain in Nigeria and serve their homeland, administrative intransigence has rendered their efforts increasingly untenable.
“This hospital has been reduced to a labor camp under the administration of Dr. Olatunde Alabi. The oppressive system in place has effectively turned doctors into enslaved laborers,” he declared.
The ARD has submitted 14 petitions to various high-ranking officials, including Minister of Health Prof. Ali Pate, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, and the Head of Service of the Federation. Most recently, an appeal was made to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) leadership, yet no tangible action has been taken.
“It appears that authorities have chosen to let this hospital disintegrate due to the negligence and ineptitude of those at the helm,” Dr. Baoku added grimly.
Tragic Consequences of Negligence
The horrifying ramifications of the hospital’s dysfunction have already claimed lives. Dr. Baoku recounted an instance where a long-serving hospital attendant, in need of urgent medical attention, succumbed to a treatable illness due to an electricity outage at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit.
“She devoted over two decades of her life to this institution, only to perish because basic life-saving resources like electricity were unavailable,” he lamented.
Furthermore, violent altercations have erupted within the hospital, as enraged relatives of critically ill patients lash out at healthcare workers, unable to comprehend the dire lack of functional equipment needed to save their loved ones.
“The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is virtually non-existent, incapable of sustaining a patient for even three hours due to a catastrophic lack of resources. When our association’s president, Dr. Jimoh Umar, courageously demanded urgent intervention, the hospital’s leadership responded with persecution, suspension, and, most recently, an unlawful termination,” he stated.
Defiance Against Arbitrary Suspension
Dr. Baoku further accused the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of FTHL, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, of deliberately obstructing the reinstatement of Dr. Umar, despite an official directive from the Ministry of Health.
“The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, through the Permanent Secretary Ms. Kachollom Shangti Daju, authorized Dr. Umar’s reinstatement on December 12, 2024. The hospital management received this directive on January 11, 2025, yet the CMD has persistently refused to comply,” Dr. Baoku asserted.
He emphasized that such insubordination contravenes Section 3 of the Civil Service Rules, which classifies refusal to act on official orders, breach of administrative confidentiality, dereliction of duty, and defiance of superior directives as gross misconduct.
“The CMD is not above the law; he is bound by the same public service regulations as every other government official. His continued defiance is an affront to due process and accountability,” he declared.
With tensions reaching a boiling point, the fate of the hospital now rests in the hands of the federal government. As protests persist and medical professionals refuse to relent in their demands, the Nigerian health sector faces yet another defining moment in its battle against systemic dysfunction and administrative negligence.
