Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Monday resolved the industrial crisis at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DESUTH), Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State.
The Governor during a closed meeting, also directed immediate steps to address the institution’s lingering infrastructural and power challenges.
The Chief Medical Director of DELSUTH, Prof. Harrison Abedi who disclosed this in Asaba in an interview with newsmen shortly after a meeting with Governor Oborevwori, expressed appreciation for the governor’s timely intervention which, he said, had restored hope to management and staff of the Teaching Hospital.
According to him, “the governor personally invited the hospital’s management for discussions and successfully resolved the issues that led to the workers’ unrest at the state’s premier teaching hospital.”
He said the governor also used the opportunity to address several longstanding challenges confronting the institution, particularly the prolonged power outage that has disrupted hospital operations and water supply over the past two weeks.
Prof. Abedi disclosed that the state government had already awarded a contract to restore stable electricity to the hospital, adding that the Ministry of Energy had commenced implementation.
He explained that they were also informed at the meeting that a new high-tension transformer that would provide the hospital with a dedicated 33KVA power line had been sourced and was being transported from Lagos by the contractor for installation.
“The governor has assured us that the power problem will soon become a thing of the past. We are grateful that the Ministry of Energy has swung into action, and we expect the transformer to arrive very soon,” he said.
Beyond the power project, the Chief Medical Director said Governor Oborevwori had directed him to work closely with the Commissioner for Health to ensure the comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization of the teaching hospital.
Prof. Abedi noted that the planned revamp would address the institution’s ageing infrastructure and improve healthcare service delivery, even as he expressed optimism that the governor’s intervention would encourage the striking unions to suspend their industrial action and return to work.
He said: “We believe the unions will reconsider their position, and we are hopeful that the strike will be called off soon. Once that happens, normal services will resume immediately, and DELSUTH will return to full operation”.
The Chief Medical Director commended Governor Oborevwori for his commitment to strengthening the state’s healthcare system, describing the intervention as a demonstration of responsive and people-centred leadership.
