UCH workers down tools, accuse management
University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has again been plunged into darkness, following the decision of its labour unions to embark on a five-day warning strike over alleged power rationing by
University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has again been plunged into darkness, following the decision of its labour unions to embark on a five-day warning strike over alleged power rationing by the management.
The strike, called by the Council of UCH Union Leaders (CUUL), a coalition of 11 unions, according to the leaders, was aimed at drawing attention to the crippling power crisis facing the hospital, which has compromised service delivery, endangered patients and exposed workers to hazards.
In a statement, CUUL co-chairmen, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe and Dr. Uthman Adedeji, lamented that despite power supply restoration by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in February, management has been rationing electricity, leading to cancelled surgeries, disrupted laboratory services and loss of revenue.
“The situation is unacceptable. UCH is losing millions of naira daily in internally generated revenue. A cost-cutting measure has become a revenue-destroying policy. If this continues, the financial survival of UCH is at serious risk”, the unions cried out.
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They outlined the dire consequences of the power crisis, saying: “Surgeries are cancelled routinely, critical laboratory results are delayed, medications and vaccines are lost due to broken cold chains, and patients are being turned away.
“A teaching hospital in 2026 is being forced to operate like a facility from a bygone era. Health care workers are being forced to operate under conditions that are violating basic medical safety standards.
“Severe water shortages, increased risk of hospital-acquired infections, surgeries conducted with headlamps, and laboratories handling hazardous samples without functional fume cupboards are just a few examples of the threats to life.”
The unions demanded immediate and decisive action: cessation of internal electricity rationing, restoration of water supply, repair or replacement of faulty prepaid meters, and reversal of arbitrary rent increases in staff quarters.
“We are ready to work, generate revenue and serve, but we cannot save lives in darkness,” they declared.
The strike has raised concerns about the impact on patients and medical training. The UCH is a major referral centre, and the crisis is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the health care system.
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Power has been urged to intervene and prevent further deterioration.
As the standoff continues, patients and workers are bearing the brunt.
