The Association of Resident Doctors at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) has urged the hospital management to urgently address the shortage of doctors, warning that the situation is straining services and undermining patient care.
The call was made during the association’s pre-2025 Annual General Meeting and election briefing in Awka, where members stressed the need to resolve staffing gaps ahead of the Dec. 11 meeting.
President of ARD-COOUTH, Dr Joy Okwumuo, appealed to the management to fulfill its commitment to recruit and replace consultants, resident doctors, and house officers as a practical step to reduce workload and prevent burnout.
She expressed concern over unpaid specialist allowances owed to some resident doctors, noting that colleagues in other teaching hospitals across the South-East had already received theirs, a situation she said had deepened frustration and widened disparities.
The association also renewed its appeal to the Anambra State Government to implement the November 2025 reviewed CONMESS specialist allowances for all resident doctors and consultants, describing it as critical to discouraging brain drain and supporting retention.
Members further condemned the deteriorating call-room conditions, inadequate recruitment of house officers, and poor living quarters lacking water and electricity. They warned that failure to address these issues posed risks to morale, training quality, and effective service delivery.
The association also decried the physical assault of one of its members, criticizing what it described as poor handling of the incident by management. It warned that any future occurrence could trigger industrial action to protect members’ safety and dignity.
Meanwhile, ARD-COOUTH announced plans to acquire a bus to support official engagements, improve logistics for conferences and community outreach, and strengthen operational coordination, describing the initiative as a strategic investment in capacity building.
