There was pandemonium at UBTH when members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (UBTH branch), engaged management staff of the hospital in a free for all.
The laboratory scientists who are currently on strike were at the hospital to picket adhoc medical laboratory scientists reportedly recruited from a private medical laboratory outfit (Union Diagnostics), by the hospital management, a development described by the association as “unacceptable.”
The laboratory scientists who resisted the move by management to open the laboratories and as well as offices in the medical laboratory department, staged a peaceful protest which lasted several hours.
The peaceful protest however led to the shutting down of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital where the laboratory department is located and also crippled all medical services at the health institution.
It was gathered that the situation took a dangerous dimension when a senior management staff simply identifed as Dr Obaseki, who was trying to broker truce, was allegedly assaulted by the now angry medical laboratory scientists.
The situation which was said to have degenerated to a free for all between the laboratory scientists and the senior management staff, left other members of staff and vulnerable patients in the hospital to scamper for safety as the aggrieved scientists became aggressive.
It was however brought under control by a combined effort of men of the Nigeria Police and operatives of Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Commenting on the ugly incident, the chairman of the medical laboratory scientists in UBTH, Olumoye Abdulazeez, said the Prof. Michael Ibadin-led management of the hospital, blatantly paid deaf ears to their grievances, which include under staffing, abuse of court orders, shortage of manpower, insufficient working materials and harsh working conditions, which he said was responsible for their action.
“While we are aware of the huge cost being charged by UBTH as the highest payable in the country for laboratory analysis, we are equally baffled by the way and manner the authority has deliberately decided to make life and the working conditions of AMLSN and its members unbearable since management has decline payment of our arrears, promotion and re-grading of our members,” he said.
Abdulazeez, who said the burden of patients is aggravated by poor functional equipment and inadequate chemicals engaged in laboratory analysis, warned the general public to be wary of where they carryout their medical analyses, stating that “the authenticity of result of any laboratory investigation not done by us while the strike last cannot be guaranteed.”
Meanwhile, effort to reach the management of the hospital to comment on the ugly development proved abortive as calls put through to the Chief Medical Director (CMD),Prof. Michael Ibadin, did not go through.
However, the Deputy Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee, Clinical Services, Prof Clement Osime, at an earlier interview, wondered why the Olumoye Abdulazeez-led association embarked upon the strike.
Prof Osime who disclosed that about 80 percent of the demands of the striking laboratory scientists have been resolved by the hospital management, said the hospital was working out modalities to resolve the crisis.
Tertiary health institutions in Edo, Ondo and Delta states, have been bedeviled by spates of strikes in recent times.
It would be recalled that members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), of the UBTH only recently suspended their strike after several weeks of downing tools.
