Maureen Onuora in Enugu
The National Industrial Court sitting in Enugu has issued an interim injunction restraining the members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, from continuing with the industrial action already embarked upon.
Penpushing reports that the Court further restrained the Association and/or its members from taking any action in furtherance of the strike action pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed by the Enugu State Government.
The interim injunction was issued by Justice O.O. Arowosegbe upon the Motion Exparte filed by the State Government on March 2, 2020,and also ordered the Resident Doctors to “forthwith stop the strike already commenced and immediately stop any action in furtherance of the strike or any strike till the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”
Penpushing further reports that Enugu State University Teaching Hospital( ESUTH) Resident Doctors on Monday issued a 5-days warning strike,alleging government of failure to adhere to existing agreement between them.
In a similar development both the State Ministry of Health and the organised labour union have condemned the strike describing is as “ill-timed, malicious, condemnable and not done in good faith, stressing that, ’more so, it completely contradicts the creeds of the Hippocratic Oath which they swore to uphold’.
“The striking resident doctors are well aware there are patients given free medical and surgical treatment from a recent medical outreach organized by an American NGO – the Faith Care Foundation, in collaboration with U-TOFL – an indigenous NGO, at ESUTH Parklane Hospital, that were supposed to be followed up but are now left unattended to as a consequence of this unreasonable and highly unpatriotic action’.
‘There are also patients in the wards that are hurriedly being discharged and may have attendant complications with poor health outcomes. It is worrisome to note fact that this action is coming at such a time the Federal Government of Nigeria and various State Governments are grappling with the challenge of the new Corona Virus outbreak.
Penpushing also reports that all the key officials of Association of Resident Doctors of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital as at the time of filing this report have since remained incommunicado as their phones are switched off.
Meanwhile,the case has been adjourned till March 17 for hearing of the substantive motion
