Three doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Kogi State, have been reportedly dismissed for peacefully protesting against what they described as deteriorating working conditions and poor staff welfare at the institution.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the affected doctors, who had participated in several protests over time, were also pushing for the reinstatement of their suspended association president, Dr. Jimoh Umar.
They demanded an independent probe into the hospital’s alleged decay and what they termed as long-standing management failures.
According to the protesting doctors, the hospital has failed to address critical challenges, including a severe manpower shortage, dilapidated facilities, and lack of institutional support for healthcare workers.
They lamented that many of their colleagues were kept on rolling two-month contract appointments without access to pensions, promotions, hazard allowances, or even the recently approved minimum wage.
One of the key concerns raised was that the hospital had not recruited any new doctors since 2012, leading to a significant drop in the number of medical personnel.
The protesters argued that this neglect has crippled service delivery and placed an overwhelming burden on the remaining workforce.
They also decried the practice of keeping health workers on long-term contract arrangements, describing it as exploitative and a major contributor to the persistent shortage of professionals in the facility.
The protesting doctors have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Pate, to intervene by launching an independent investigation into the hospital’s affairs and ensuring accountability within its management.
However, the hospital’s unions have come out in support of the Chief Medical Director, distancing themselves from the allegations and urging that any disciplinary issues involving the protesting doctors be handled internally.
They emphasized their faith in the leadership of the CMD and dismissed the doctors’ claims as unsubstantiated.
As of the time of filing this report, the hospital management has yet to release an official statement on the dismissal of the doctors.
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