Chitika

Saturday 24 May 2014

MEDICAL WORKERS TURN LADOKE AKINTOLA TEACHING HOSPITAL TO WAR COLLEGE

As the battle for the soul of medicine deepens in Nigeria and medical workers flex their muscle in what has been a beauty pageant, the workers from the Medical Laboratory department in Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital (LTH), Ogbomosho got more than what they bargained for at about 4:30pm on Wednesday when the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr. Olakulehin reportedly came with the hospital security men to drag the Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) out of the laboratory in order for the Pathologists to carry out their duties.

According to a source in the hospital, the MLS left the lab and began protest action in front of the Lab, displaying placards to show their disapproval of the happenings in the hospital.

As the protest continued, the press crew from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) drove into the premises to capture the event. As they made to interview the Chairman of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (AMLSN), the CMAC came back from his office to question the press men on what their mission was, thus disrupting the interview.

We gathered that the CMAC and a Consultant from the radiology department Dr. Aremu and other Medical Doctors began to struggle the camera with the press man, while the MLS formed a covering around him to avoid him being beaten, which led to a near fist cuff between the Scientists and the Physicians.


The battle got fierce as Dr Aremu accuosted a Medical Laboratory Scientist holding a Samsung Galaxy tablet, which he thought was being used to film the ugly sight.

Our sources stated that attempts by Aremu to take the phone from the victim resulted in him blowing the MLS personnel, who used the phone to defend himself, thus destroying the phone.

Not done with spoiling the phone, the CMAC ran after the MLS worker and held him by the trouser with his hand inside his, like a wanted criminal waist.

When the NTA crew finished and made to leave, the CMAC we gathered ordered the security men to shut the gate and held them hostage for one hour, until the News Manager of NTA came to the hospital. The appearance of the News Manager led to a shouting bout as the CMAC told them that their filming the event was illegal.


Probably angered by the CMAC word, the Journalist with the camera was asked to “roll the camera” in his word.

The words jolted the CMAC who later agreed to grant them interview before allowing them to leave.

Another source revealed to us that the CMAC, “If you want it in a civilised way I would give it to you,and if you want it in an “NURTW” way I would give it to you”, while threatening to get them sacked.CMAC denies...When contacted by our reporter, the CMAC denied ever using security to chase the MLS out of the lab.

He stated that the pathologists were supposed to be on call duty, but the lab was denied them access by the Scientist and as the most senior management staff on ground, he had to intervene.


Explaining that the management has been taken to the Court in Ibadan by the Scientists union, and they have urged those who cannot work till the verdict comes out, while their salaries will still be paid to them.

“Doctors were to be taking calls once in week and they are all aware. Now when it is the turn of the doctors to take calls, you refused them entry into the laboratory that they cannot enter. I happen to be the most senior management staff at that material time and I walked in there when it was reported to me that the scientists were obstructing the doctors”

“I told them to leave the lab, they refused; in fact they ignored me for almost ten minutes until the hospital security had to persuade them to leave the place. Now the next thing they did, about one and half hours later were to invite press men into the laboratory”, he explained.

He noted that the intrusion of the pressmen into the lab was unethical to the medical profession, as the pictures that will be taken by the press will show the patient result, as well as their names, thus intruding into the privacy of the patients.

This he admitted made him accoust the press, demanding from them while they should come into the hospital without the courtesy of informing the hospital management.

The CMAC challenged our reporter to go to other parts of the world and come out with a finding and see if the medical profession is being practiced the way it is done in Nigeria.

Source: Secret Reporter

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