Benue hospital insists it sacked 3, not 30 doctors

Management of Benue State University Teaching Hospital says it issued sack letter on only three, not 30 doctors, as the Association of Resident Doctors have claimed.

The association at the hospital has threatened to go on strike if the hospital doesn’t withdraw the letters at the end of an ultimatum, claiming the hospital is attempting to impose a six-year window for residency training on resident doctors instead of the eight years allowed.

Deputy Director, Head of Public Relations at BSUTH, Cephas Hough, issued a statement saying, “We wish to inform that, whereas, the Association alleged that 30 of their members have been ‘sacked’ by the Management of the hospital, we wish to point out that only three resident doctors were terminated upon service of month notice in compliance with directives of the Management Board of the hospital.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to make it clear that residency is a time bound training program. The Residency Training Policy of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, requires resident doctors to pass all prescribed examinations within a maximum period of 6 years.

“Consequently, all resident doctors whose appointments with the hospital have been terminated have exceeded the prescribed period for the programme,” the statement reads in part.