LUTH Orders Permanent Shut Down Of ARD Office Over Crisis
The chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Olufemi Fasanmade has ordered that the Association of Resident Doctor (ARD) office at the LUTH Marble Hall be shut for security reasons , saying no gathering would be allowed at the premises until further notice.
Fasanmade, who stated this in an interview said for the security of lives and property in LUTH, remain a major concern to management of the hospital.
He said the ARD office has been repeatedly invaded by unknown, non-LUTH persons, invited by some persons in LUTH with the sole aim of causing trouble within the Hospital.
This group, according to Fasanmade is acting under the directives of Dr Adebayo Sekumade, the president of the ARD at the hospital and it is brazenly threatening senior officials of the Hospital in the name of the Association of Resident Doctors (LUTH Branch).
He said, “They have been holding clandestine meetings in the ARD Office at the Marble Hall of LUTH. The Management of LUTH had given the ARD a six month notice to quit the premises about six and a half months ago. They are to relocate to other locations within the hospital.
“A reminder and seven day notice was sent to them over a week ago and the Management made effort to repossess the premises used as ARD Secretariat two days ago.”
He said the resident doctors however mobilized their members and other unknown persons to lay siege on the secretariat inflicting bodily harm on the Security agents and Nigerian Civil Defence Service staff leading to facial bruises of one and stabbing of another.
Fasanmade said the Nigeria Police were thereafter invited to restore law and order and prevent damage to Federal Government property, adding that by the time the police arrived they had destroyed the door locks on the secretariat and manned it with their members and other paid thugs and miscreants.
“As a responsible Management, we cannot allow such threats to create widespread chaos to be carried out. For the security of lives and property in LUTH, the Marble Hall of the Hospital shall remain only a thoroughfare to all members of staff and all who may wish, can go to other places within the Hospital,” he added.
He however advised members of ARD to confine its activities to the ARD Lounge under the Labour Ward, adding that anyone who constitutes a threat to security by breaching the peace within the Hospital shall have themselves to blame.
In his reaction, the president of the ARD, Adebayo Sekunmade said the association has been monitoring developments around the secretariat after the incident which led to 10 members been badly injured by some security officials at the hospital.
Sekunmade said, “We went to the Chief Medical Director’s office for dialogue but he refused to attend to us.
“He however directed us to the chairman of the medical advisory committee of LUTH who simply told us that the management of the hospital was retrieving the secretariat from the ARD.”
Sekunmade said he demanded a court order from Fasanmade to justify his action but he could not present it.
