LUTH: How lack of communication is hampering operational activities

By: James Bwala

Management is management they said, so workers often do not understand because certain communitions are kept only at the management level. However, while it should be certain communitions, there is the need for managers to make a difference and ensure needful communitions are made available to both clients and staff. In an institution like the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the need to explain certain occasions both to staff and patients should be of paramount.

While investigating a case recently, NEWSng understands that patients at LUTH are worried with the cash method of payment for medical Services for example. According to the explanation, when they gets to the point of payment LUTH cashier will insist of making cash payment as against government policy of paying through electonic means. 

This concern gave the inroad to  contact some member of staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as regarding what they know. They informed that they are also worried about the new development and why LUTH will insist on paying cash to the cashier and every Tuesday, they see bullion van coming to take huge amount of money to the banks. According to them this is a security issue as carrying such huge amount may attract certain challenges and why should an institution like LUTH change the government policy of electronic payments?

In thier different concerns, they suggested that financial regulatory agencies needs to look into this novel activities in LUTH. The staff shared a story about over deduction in their salary and wanted to know if LUTH have returns all deducted funds to ippis or CBN? They also suggested the need to ask ARD executive at LUTH about the method of cash payment for service as against Federal Government directive of e-money collections.

When NEWSng attempted to get the Director of Finance at LUTH into discussing certain findings, which involves the finance activities, Mr. Tajudeen Ibrahim after a long while responded that he was not allowed to speak to the Press. That however, sounded like something is amiss. On another questions that has to do with non payment of salaries for nine months, hazard and MRFT allowances of some Residents Doctors, he suggested the Director of Administration is in position to answer that.

NEWSng in its findings learnt that for nine months, residents doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has not been paid salaries and other allowances. According to some doctors, yet the system espects them to remain focus and work for the health of the society. 

“They tell us that we are doctors, forgetting that we are also humans. The administration of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH for some reason could not justify their actions over many scary stories emanating from the hospital from maladministration to deaths mounting as a result of lack of care and the welfare of staff especially doctors which the establishment of such an Institution hangs on. 

“Several Resident Doctors have left. Many are now reporting the difference between working at the home front and working in distant country where they are being treated as Angels. Recently, the number of doctors said to have been putting resignation and living the services of LUTH has been alarming. Several of them have given reasons to ill treatment by the management of the hospital.” One of the Doctors, who did not want his name in print said.

Also speaking, another doctor who resign from the services of LUTH told NEWSng that although they (doctors) are living the services of the hospital on various grounds, the crux which informed their living was imbedded in the lack of payment of the salaries in the last nine months. The doctor also mention other allowances like Hazard and MRTF, which only the management can explained. However, a note pushed on the course of this investigation may have giving an inroad to the business of withholding the doctor’s salaries when a mention of fixing the money for interest in banks becomes of concern. This is what the director of finance at LUTH should explained.

” I have pursued for my payments from Lagos to Abuja to no avail. But I have establish the facts that the federal government have paid. Only LUTH is holding it. I have gone to the extent of pleading with them to pay me even if I had to surrender some money from my own in whatever name but the story is the same. 

Also Read: https://dailypost.ng/2022/09/29/2023-elections-nis-to-shut-doors-against-foreign-migrants/

“We want LUTH to pay us our money. For the past nine months I have not been paid. All efforts goes through the ears and no results coming. They wanted us to work but they are not concern about our welfare. Imagine they will tell you as a doctor to show concern and attend to patients when your own welfare is thrown to the dogs! How do you function in this kind of situation? They have forgotten that we are also humans with blood running through our veins. How do you focus as a doctor and give the best? 

“Those of our colleagues who left the shores of this country are doing very well. I know a number of them who left LUTH and today they are better. That is why we are living the services at LUTH because we are not being treated well. I am not concern about housing but pay my salary and help me meet my personal needs so I can work as expected. I am dealing with people’s lives and I needed to be focus.” The doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Attempts to get the CMAC, Professor Wasiu Adeyemo did not yield result. However, the Director of Administration, Mr. Babajide Grillo explained that, the issue of payment as regards the Resident Doctors who are concern is not base in LUTH. 

“There are about 17 or 18 there about who left out of over 100 we employed.” Babajide Grillo explained. “The issue is not with LUTH. It started when the IPS people came and it was discovered that some of the employed already have an IPPIS number. This is just an issue of harmonization. However, you know this was being done by the office of the Accountant General and it has been shifted to the office of the Head of Service of the federation now. This will be sorted out.

“On the issue that doctors are living the services of the hospital as they would want the public to believe is not true. However, with this profession professionals like doctors are on record migrating. This is not only in LUTH. When you check out it is a general phenomenon. ” The Director Administration in LUTH said.

NEWSng also made efforts to contact the President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Samuel Okerinde but he could not return calls. However, the ARD Secretary General and Vice President of the Association responded to calls. Their positions also explained the generality of happenings within the medical profession as regards reasons for migration by these skilled professionals. They also hinted on the protest at LUTH and how it was put to calm but not resolved.

LUTH: How lack of communication is hampering operational activities