LUTH doctors back to work

Nigerian doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, went back to work Saturday following the suspension of their four day strike over what they called `excessive’ monthly tax deductions.

The doctors called off the strike Friday.

The doctors, under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), began the strike on 11 December.

Dr Adetunji Adenekan, President of the association, told a news conference in Lagos the suspension was informed by the doctors’ concern for the lives of the patients.

According to him, the suspension is also at the instance of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos chapter.

“We have resolved to suspend our industrial action due to the intervention and insistence of our parent bodies – NARD and NMA in Lagos State.

“Also, we suspended the strike due to our patients’ interests which we consider paramount and because of our desires to forestall further unnecessary loss of lives of innocent and well-meaning Nigerians.

“We, as resident doctors, constitute a major workforce of the hospital, and if we continue this strike, work will not go on and we want to avoid further loss of lives.”

The ARD president said that the body would continue further negotiation with the management of LUTH and the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

“We are professionals and civilised members of the society with high regards for the rule of law and we are not opposed to paying our taxes in any way or form,” Adenekan said.

He, however, described the newly amended Tax Act as overwhelming and excessive.

“The ARD-LUTH has been involved in agitation since September over the sudden introduction of an overwhelming tax regime purportedly based on the personal income tax.

“The tax regime was aimed at making heavy and excessive tax deductions from our members’ salaries by taxing our previously non-taxable call duty allowance.

“This resulted in almost twofold increase in our personal income tax. Added to this were the simultaneous deductions of tax arrears by the hospital management dating back to January,’’ he said.

Dr Francis Faduyile, NMA chairman in Lagos, said: “The NMA is not in support of the new Tax Act because the call duty of doctors’ allowance is the pay for the work put in by the doctors after the normal working hours.

“Also, the LUTH management is implementing the tax retroactively and this has constituted a double burden on the doctors.’’

Prof. Akin Osibogun, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, had confirmed that the tax deduction was as a result of the new income tax law.