UNIOSUN teaching hospital workers protest PPP deal, threaten strike

Protesting staff members of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, on Thursday, disrupted the university’s Governing Board meeting, as the workers opposed the plan to privatise laboratory services in the hospital.

Our correspondent, who monitored the protest, observed that the meeting, presided over by its chairman, Mr Niyi Owolade, ended abruptly as the protesters, who had stormed the administrative building of the hospital where the meeting was being held, chanted solidarity songs to drive home their demands.

The protesting staff, comprising members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Medical Health Workers Union, Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, also threatened to down tools unless their demands were met.

Speaking with journalists on behalf of the protesting unions, Olumide Faniran said the workers had demanded the details of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the partners the hospital intended to engage for the plan.

But rather than meeting the union to discuss the matter, Faniran said the hospital Board directed the leadership of the unions to write down their demands and send them to it.

“Actually, the agitation is over a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, which the leadership of the teaching hospital is embarking on. When you are undertaking something of that nature, you carry stakeholders along. The reverse is the case here. On this issue, we have been engaging the management to avail us with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but unfortunately, we have not been given that opportunity.

“We had a meeting with them a few days ago, where we agreed that the status quo should remain. But to our surprise, they conducted interviews yesterday (Wednesday) for the intended workers they want to engage for the private laboratory. They want to set up a private laboratory when we already have our own laboratory that is generating over 100 per cent revenue. The little lacuna they are now stressing is their own fault. They are asking why we failed to produce consumables and reagents.

“Another issue is the age-long rivalry between the doctors and other health professionals. It has been on the ground for over 10 years now, and they want to privatise all other health workers except the doctors. In response, all unions outside medical doctors formed a union called the Joint Action Committee of Unions. It comprises the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Medical Health Workers Union, Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals. The five unions that comprise all workers in the institution came together and deliberated.

“This morning, we were told that we would have a meeting with the board by 10 am. We converged at 10 am, only to be told around 2:30 pm that they were not interested in seeing us, and that we should forward our position to them and that they would call us later. We said this is an aberration. You wrote to the union for a meeting slated for 10 am, only to be telling us at 2:30 pm that we should send our position paper,” Faniran said.

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According to him, the leadership of the unions, after reviewing the situation at its congress, “agreed to embark on a peaceful protest. The board was still holding its meeting during the protest, and they were eventually forced out of the meeting.”

Highlighting some of the demands of the unions, Faniran said the hospital workers would not accept Public-Private Partnership, insisting that available human resources should be properly utilised to provide needed services.

“Indirectly, they want to cripple our own services in the hospital. If we accept Public-Private Partnership, that means we are crippling the laboratory.

“That is why we are now resisting. Radiology, ICU, Morgue, Kitchen and Security, among others, will be affected. If they fail to adhere to our demands, we have no option but to embark on a strike on Monday because the 14-day ultimatum given earlier will expire by 11:59 pm on Sunday,” Faniran further said.

When contacted for a reaction, the Governing Board chairman, Owolade, assured that the disagreement would be resolved.

Owolade, who said the PPP arrangement is being adopted by many teaching hospitals for more efficient service delivery, expressed readiness to meet the representatives of the union to iron out grey areas.

“We are meeting with the unions next week. The issue will be resolved next week. The board came to the conclusion, after approval by the governor, that we should have a Public Private Partnership, and we have started the discussion; it’s not yet completed the discussion. There is nothing special; they have to be well-educated about it.

“This is not the first place where PPP will be implemented. They have started in Ife, Ibadan. Most teaching hospitals in Nigeria have PPP. There is no much ado about it,” Owolade said.