DELSUTH: Doctors threaten strike over rotting facilities, staff exodus

By Chioma Obinna

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Delta State University Teaching Hospital chapter, has raised the alarm over what it described as the rapid collapse of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, warning that the once celebrated tertiary health institution is now struggling to provide even basic healthcare services.In a press statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Dr. Efe ABOLODJE, and Secretary, Dr. Ify Anita Nwajei, MDCAN accused authorities of neglecting the hospital’s infrastructure, equipment, manpower and governance structure.They warned that unless urgent intervention is made, the institution could face a full-blown healthcare crisis.The association said the hospital, commissioned in 2010 by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as a world-class quaternary health centre, has deteriorated into a facility battling to sustain primary and secondary healthcare services.According to the doctors, essential medical equipment across departments have either broken down or become obsolete, while worsening infrastructure decay and poor funding have crippled clinical operations and specialist care.

“MDCAN is deeply concerned that DELSUTH has declined from a world-class quaternary hospital to a centre struggling to deliver effective tertiary healthcare,.The association disclosed that electricity bills running into over N50 million monthly have forced management to ration power supply, including in administrative units, while recurring sewage overflow and poor sanitation now pose serious public health risks within the hospital environment.It further revealed that basic clinical tools such as sphygmomanometers, stethoscopes, thermometers, weighing scales and diagnostic equipment are either inadequate or non-functional.The doctors alleged that X-ray services have virtually collapsed because of the absence of a functioning UPS system, forcing patients to seek diagnostic services outside the hospital.“The theatre complex is presently functioning below acceptable standards with poor lighting, inadequate instruments, malfunctioning equipment and shortage of surgical materials,” MDCAN stated.The association warned that the worsening conditions are undermining medical training and specialist healthcare delivery in Delta State.“DELSUTH remains the premier training institution for resident doctors and medical students in Delta State, but infrastructure deficits and equipment failures are seriously threatening effective training and patient care,” it added.

MDCAN also accused the state government of allowing a leadership vacuum to persist in the hospital following delays in appointing a substantive Chief Medical Director (CMD).According to the association, although an election for a substantive CMD was conducted over three months ago and results forwarded to the appropriate ministry, no official decision has been communicated.The doctors linked the development to growing tensions within the hospital community, including recent protests by host community members over appointment allocations.“The urgent need to address the issue of a substantive CMD cannot be overemphasised,” the statement stressed.On staffing, the consultants lamented the growing exodus of senior medical personnel to federal institutions including the National Orthopaedic Hospital Benin and the Federal Medical Centre Ovwian following the implementation of the revised professional allowances approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission in February 2026.The association said the hospital was currently battling severe manpower shortages affecting doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and resident physicians.Despite several engagements with management and government officials, MDCAN said little progress had been made in resolving the crisis.

The doctors therefore demanded immediate government intervention, including the appointment of a substantive CMD and governing board, rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, replacement of faulty equipment and implementation of revised professional allowances to halt the mass exit of consultants.They also called for urgent investment in surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to restore uninterrupted tertiary healthcare services at the hospital.MDCAN warned that failure by authorities to address the issues could trigger industrial action.“The association has issued an ultimatum for authorities to address these issues immediately, warning of a strike if resolutions are not forthcoming,” the statement added.

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