As the state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha celebrates his 50th Birthday anniversary; health workers in some public health institutions have a distasteful birthday gift for the number one citizen of the state as they have down tools.
Despite pleas by the state government led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Amaechi, the state owned Specialist Hospital was under lock and key for a greater part of Tuesday when workers embarked on strike.
Our correspondent who visited theSpecialistHospitallocated in Umuguma Federal Housing Estate road reported that the security guards claimed the gate and ensured there was no movement in and out of the hospital. While workers wearing forlorn look were stranded and refused to enter their offices, visiting patients and sick in – patients moved out in droves to seek alternative treatments outside the hospital complex.
It was further gathered that the workers among other things were protesting the non payment of two months salaries and refusal of the state government to recall eight sacked medical doctors despite the intervention of the national body of the medical doctors.
No official of the health workers union was available to speak to Imo Trumpeta on the strike action but some of the workers disclosed that they are being owed backlog of salaries and allowances, even as government are insensitive to their complaints over improper working conditions.
“We want our colleagues sacked by the state government to be reinstated. Our national body has appealed but the state government has not shown any step to comply. That is why we are on strike” an aggrieved health worker said at theImoSpecialistHospitalgate when approached for comments.
Calls put to the phone numbers of Dr Amaechi and Dr Obi Njoku, the health Commissioner to get the side of government were not replied as at press time.
