The Nigeria Medical Association has lampooned the management of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife, Osun State over its random salary deduction of health workers on maternity leave.
This is just as the South-West Zone association expressed concerns that the action has left a scar on many pregnant female doctors and health workers who are living in perpetual fear.
Their plight was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by the South West NMA Chairman, Dr Ogunlaja Oladayo and the Secretary, Dr Bolaji Lateef Salako.
The statement frowned at the ‘injustice’ meted out to the female health workers, especially doctors at the federal facility, by depriving them of their call duty allowance.
A call duty allowance, according to the statement, makes up a large chunk of the salary of the average medical professional in federal hospitals and medical centres.
Salako further told our correspondent that it was ‘disgraceful’ to subject young health workers to such severe salary deductions just because they are going on maternity leave.
He said, “We all know call duty makes up a substantial amount of our salary. If other health workers on maternity across the country are paid their full salary, why must OAUTH be different?”
The NMA caucus secretary called on the Federal Government to urgently initiate measures that would address the malaise.
When contacted, the Osun NMA Chairman, Dr Razaq Akindele corroborated Salako’s claim when he reiterated that the body had been inundated with reports about how doctors on maternity leave are denied their call duty pay and the nurses their shift allowance.
“Credit must be given to the present OAUTH management, which has demonstrated a willingness to reverse the trend. However, to be able to achieve this, the chief medical director said they need a go-ahead from the Federal Ministry of Health. That is how far we have gone as the medical body.
“Sadly, it is only this institution that is doing that to its female medical personnel. Are we supposed to punish people for their physiological responsibility? What we are basically saying is that we don’t want women working in FG health facilities to get pregnant. That itself is discrimination against women.
“The Lagos State Government has done well by showing exemplary leadership through extension of maternity leave from three to six months with full remuneration. FG must live up to its responsibilities,” Akindele said.
A concerned medical doctor in Osun State, Dr Oladayo Folami, allegedly traced the genesis of the problem to what he described as a face-off between an undisclosed pregnant doctor and wife of the former CMD who also worked at the facility at the time.
According to him, what started as a punitive circular spurred by vengeance soon degenerated into a nightmare for young female health workers in the federal facility.
Folami, who is also the Secretary of Osun NMA described that the union had been shuttling frantically between OAUTH and the ministry to get the issue resolved for over a year now.
“It is a very big problem plaguing OAUTH and the female health workers, especially our members. It is not their fault that they got pregnant neither should it be a crime to stay back and nurse an infant. We have discussed it at local, state and national level,” he said.
In a related development, the National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Dr. Minimie Oseji, believed advocacy was vital to resolve the lingering crisis in the institution.
“It is a result of the interpretation of whatever regulation they are looking at. It is obvious they had an interpretation that is different from other federal institutions on this maternity leave issue.
“However, it requires advocacy for the authority to understand and have the interpretation that will protect the women working there,” she said.
When contacted, the Director of Hospital Services in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi declined to comment.
“I don’t have permission to speak with the media on this matter. You may need to talk directly with the honourable minister,” she said.
When contacted, OAUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Victor Adebayo Adetiloye was also unwilling to discuss the issue.
When pressed further, he asked the correspondent to send his enquiry via text message.
As of the time of filing this report, Adetiloye neither replied to the SMS nor pick any calls concerning the issue.
