Protesters Health Workers Close Imo Specialty Hospital After Wage Drop

The medical and health workers at Imo specialist hospital have taken industrial action to protest against the alleged reduction of their wages by 30%. It has been established that the workers, at least 300, supported the demonstration for about 11 days, to assert their request for the Imo government to cancel the cut in wages. The protesters, which included doctors, nurses and pharmacists, said they would continue the protest until their demands are met by the government. The NAN also reports that former Governor Rochas Okorocha had reduced the wages of hospital workers by 30% during his tenure. Protesters barricaded the main entrance to the hospital, making it difficult for patients to seek medical care. Speaking to reporters, the chairman of the Joint Action Committee, Dr Elias Anumudu, said the protest and the strike would continue until the government restored their wages to 100%.

 Anumudu urged Gov. Hope Uzodinma to consider the plight of workers in the hospital and quickly pay their full salary with the arrears, including promotion arrears as applicable to their counterparts. He said: “We embarked on this protest since last week Monday and we have also been on strike to make the government see our plight. “We will be grateful if the government will resolve the problem immediately to enable us to commence work in the hospital.

Also, Dr. Justin Echendu said that health workers had continued to suffer marginalisation, in spite of their performance and commitment to excellent service delivery. Echendu said that the administration of former Gov. Emeka Ihedioha promised to reverse the salary cut but failed to do so. “We were promised that we will get full salary in January but unfortunately we have received the salary and the situation is still the same,” she said.