OAUTHC PRESS RELEASE

The attention of the Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching  Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State has been drawn to an online news publication by the Punch Newspaper titled “Resident Doctors lament poor conditions and snake invasion of OAUTHC” on 27^th June, 2024. We deem it necessary and responsible to address the issues raised factually and transparently.

• It is now public knowledge that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation granted an approved waiver to the Hospital in June 2022 for the recruitment of Four Hundred and Fifty (450) clinical and non-clinical staff, in line with extant rules and regulations. Regrettably, the erstwhile administration’s disregard for the crystal-clear instructions in the approved waiver as while as norms for recruitment into the public service of the federation led to the illegal recruitment of at least One Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Six (1,586) staff, significantly surpassing the authorized limit.
• Concerns regarding the shenanigans, progressively heightened when prospecting applicants could not be remunerated without budgetary provisions. The situation disrupted industrial harmony and healthcare delivery in the hospital and soon, allegations of job racketeering, and over-establishment got to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja. Following an investigation, prima facie cases were established against the erstwhile Acting Chief Medical Director, Acting Director of Administration, and the Head of Establishment for their roles in the mismanagement of the 2022 approved waiver.
• Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH&SW) issued a directive (Ref No: SMH.557/SIII/287, dated 1^st February 2024) instructing the dismissal of these three Top Management officers. The Hospital has duly complied with this directive.
• The recruitment process conducted during that period was subpar and the worst in the Hospital’s history and It is essential to clarify that it was transacted well before this current leadership assumed office. Therefore, it is unjust knowing fully well that the process was illegal for the Association of Resident Doctors to demand fourteen (14) months of salary arrears from an administration that has been in office for under nine (9) months. Nonetheless, it is on record that under the authority of the FMoH&SW, this administration in an attempt to palliate the situation, remunerated the doctors for three (3) months despite their employment status.
• In response to incidents of job racketeering, and over-establishment, the Hospital Management was directed to nullify the entire recruitment process and under the direct supervision of officers from the FMoH&SW, a suitability test was successfully conducted on Saturday, 9^th March 2024, at the Command Day Secondary School, Ede. This examination adhered to the provisions of the 2022 approved waiver for both clinical and non-clinical candidates. This Hospital Administration has since sought and obtained the requisite Certificate of Compliance (No. 001164 dated 22^nd May 2024) from the Federal Character Commission, Abuja.
• Regarding the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) capturing: it must be stated that the Hospital Administration first had to screen all the newly recruited persons, and we found several unqualified persons. Thereafter due diligence, the successful persons have all been issued valid letters of employment, and preparations are underway to facilitate IPPIS registration for all newly employed staff within the next two weeks. The ARD are well aware of this fact as even the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Senate Committee of Health had creditably waded into the matter, yet they chose to unfortunately take this issue to the press. Nonetheless, the Management is focused and remains committed to fulfilling this mandate promptly.
• Illegal Recruitment and IPPIS Removal: It is important to note here again that several officers of the IPPIS have had to be removed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation because of this matter. All personnel (clinical and non-clinical) recruited under the 2022 approved waiver, who were earlier fraudulently captured on IPPIS by the previous Hospital administration, have been duly removed. This action was taken under authority following the discovery that the entire process was flawed and demeaning. It is essential to note that this removal was not exclusive to medical doctors alone.
• Payments: Although all newly employed staff are yet to be captured and placed on the IPPIS payroll; to encourage them, this Administration has gone ahead to pay them (the resident doctors inclusive) using other personnel funds as available on the GIFMIS platform. They have been duly informed to exercise patience from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation going forward.

• Debt on Patients’ Feeding and Call Meals: The Hospital inherited a significant debt of several tens of millions of naira related to patients’ feeding and call meals along with our financial debts. With food inflation, it has been excruciatingly difficult for our food contractors to continue supplies due to the substantial indebtedness. The call duty meal process was reviewed, and it was found to have substantial irregularities along the entire value chain. Thus, this management established a Committee, which included the ARD and the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), to audit the process and provide recommendations. Patients’ feeding has since been separated from call meals for transparency and efficiency. The Management has already defrayed over Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00) of the accumulated debts. Food contractors have been invited for discussions to regularize the process and potentially resume call meal provision for deserving clinical personnel only.
• “No Work No Pay” Policy Implementation: The enforcement of the “No Work No Pay” policy against the striking Resident doctors is a Presidential directive that was duly conveyed to the Hospital by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This policy had to be put into effect after members of their Association persisted in going on strike, despite being well-informed of ALL the prevailing issues and facts. This led to the deduction of remuneration equivalent to the five (5) days during which they denied healthcare services from the public. The Management went the extra mile to convey this to the NARD, the OAUTHC-ARD itself and other stakeholders. As of now, the OAUTHC-ARD has issued four (4) such threats within six (6) months. This Administration is dedicated to adhering to existing rules and regulations, as well as the guidance of overseeing authorities, and will not hesitate to implement this and other measures aimed at restoring the reputation and functionality of our esteemed Institution. All staff, old and new are expected in the Federal Civil Service to be decorous.
• Clearing Overgrown Weeds: The Management can not shy away from the fact that during the rainy season, the task of clearing the environment becomes more Herculean in all of our Five (5) Hospital units. This we take as a call for further action on our part. We are actively collaborating with the Environmental Health Department and the Obafemi Awolowo University to clear all noticeable bushy areas within the Hospital premises with renewed efforts. Nonetheless, we deem the statements from the ARD as a gross misrepresentation of facts deployed maliciously to smear the image of the Hospital Management and pressure the hospital and FMoH&SW to buttress their weak claims on the other industrial issues. This is regrettable.