OAUTH Will Refund Sacked Workers – CMD

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said it was willing to refund money paid for medical tests by workers of the hospital who were recently sacked.

Osun Defender reports that the hospital management sacked more than 1500 workers on Wednesday, alleging that they were illegally employed.

In a memo signed by the Acting Director of Administration, O. Omonije, and dated January 31, 2024, the management of the hospital, in a memo retained 68 and sacked about 2,000 others recruited through alleged job racketeering that took place in the hospital from early 2022 to year 2023.

However, the sacked workers had been protesting the management’s decision with the hospital gates locked.

They are demanding their reinstatement and payment of their over 12 months’ salaries.

The Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr John Okeniyi, in a virtual press conference on Friday, insisted that those asked to stop parading themselves as staffers were illegally recruited by the past management.

Okeniyi said the decision to refund money paid for medicals by the affected staffers was to demonstrate fairness to the victims of the racketeering.

He said, “It is sad that the illegality of the 2022 recruitments and job racketeering perpetrated by a few staff (members) has severally tainted the public image of our highly industrious and patriotic staff (members), our vibrant hospital, the federal ministry, and the Federal Government.

“It is however noteworthy that the illegality has been repeatedly brought to the sufficient notice of the public and the victims (many of whom wilfully engaged in the criminality just to secure themselves jobs).

“Even after the suspension of officers involved and the sufficient notice granted by the Federal Ministry of Health, many have persistently insisted that they are legitimate staff (members), and this narrative is categorically false.”

The CMD, who condemned what he described as threats meted out to officials of the teaching hospital, added, “Indeed, they have circulated leaflets threatening death to officers, Staff (members), and patients.

“The management is not insensible to the protest and unrest occasioned by the mandate to implement the 2022 approved waiver in line with the recommendations and approval of the FMoH&SW. Nevertheless, we cannot offer non-existent job positions and we all must face reality.

“To demonstrate fairness to all victims, and the public, this administration is willing to offer victims who may have inadvertently paid any amounts to procure screening tests after they were given letters of employment, the OAUTHC management shall refund all such verifiable receipted claims of ‘pre-employment’ medical screening expenses.”