AGM
By Chimezie Anaso
Awka, Dec. 10, 2025 (NAN) The Association of Resident Doctors at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) has urged hospital management to address doctor shortages, warning the situation is straining services and undermining patient care significantly.
The call was made during the association’s pre-2025 Annual General Meeting and election briefing in Awka, where members emphasised the urgency of resolving staffing gaps ahead of the Dec. 11 meeting.
ARD-COOUTH President, Dr Joy Okwumuo, urged management to fulfill its commitment to recruit and replace Consultants, Resident Doctors, and House Officers as a practical measure to reduce workload and prevent burnout.
She noted growing concern over unresolved specialist allowances owed to some resident doctors, stressing that colleagues in other southeastern state teaching hospitals had already received theirs, deepening frustration and widening disparities.
The association renewed its appeal to the Anambra State Government to implement the November 2025 reviewed CONMESS specialist allowances for all resident doctors and consultants as a measure to discourage brain drain and retention.
Members condemned deteriorating call-room conditions, inadequate house-officer recruitment, and poor living quarters lacking water and electricity, warning that failure to address those issues threatened morale, training quality, and overall service delivery.
The association also denounced the physical assault of a member; criticising management’s handling of the incident and warning that any future occurrence could prompt industrial action to safeguard members’ safety and dignity.
ARD-COOUTH announced plans to acquire a bus to support official engagements, improve logistics for conferences and community outreach, and enhance operational coordination, describing the initiative as a strategic investment in capacity. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
APC/AMM
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Edited by Abiemwense Moru
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