Health Workers At Kano Hospital Threaten Strike Action

Health workers at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Branch, Kano under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have threatened to embark on strike over the failure of the Chief Medical Director, Professor Abdulrahman Abba Sheshe to meet their demands.

This was contained in a letter titled ‘’Notice of 15-Day Ultimatum For Strike Action’’ addressed to the hospital's Chief Medical Director.

The letter was jointly signed by Branch Chairmen, MHWUN, NANNM, NUAHP, JOHESU and Secretary, Abdulrahman Aminu, Bashir Ali Ado, Dayyabu Mukhtar, Murtala Isa Umar and Abdulrahman Aminu respectively.

According to them, the strike threat became the last option after several letters calling for attention to their demands which were ignored by the Chief Medical Director.

The health workers accused the CMD of abusing the public-private partnership policy by selling hospital units and Service Centres to private enterprises thereby making access to healthcare services by the majority of patients impossible due to the high cost, and conversion of workers with additional qualifications.

The CMD, according to the letter, had promised to address the issue but failed severally and flouted federal government circulars.

The workers said the CMD has refused to implement a circular (HCSF/CSO/HRM/ 1274/T3 dated 11th September 2020) for Pharmacist Consultant Carde, two years after it was issued despite clear approval and directive to implement it by the AKTH Board of Management.

Other issues of contention raised in the letter in include "Arbitrary price increase for hospital services, scarcity of drugs and other hospital consumables and high-handedness to staff and witch-hunting of union leaders."

These made workers lose confidence in the leadership style of the CMD and it has created disharmony which has never existed in the history of the hospital.

Thereby, the workers threatened to embark on industrial action at the expiration of the ultimatum by 12 midnight of October 21, 2022.