Breaking news: IMSUTH students on protest in Owerri

The students of Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu are currently on protest over negligence on their institution by the state government.
The protest which started at the Medical School of the Owerri campus got to climax at Okigwe Road Round-about where the students blocked different lanes of the road at interval, making it difficult for traffic to flow.
Speaking to www.otowngist.com the president of the students’ union, Comrade Nwokeji Victor said that so many things are not going well in the school.

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“Medicine is supposed to be studied for 6 years, but we have spent 10 years and still counting. We don’t know whose fault it is, but we want Owelle to come to the rescue of the medical students there.
Our accreditation is around the corner and no one is doing anything to see that we don’t lose it.
There is an ongoing strike action by the Association of Resident Doctors in the school and this strike action has affected us because IMSUTH is an institution that trains medical doctors and our academic activities have been stalled by this.
There are no patients in the hospital, no clinic is running and nothing is going on in the hospital” Nwokeji said.
Comrade Nwokeji Went on to say that they are not out to cause trouble in the city, but to make their plight known to the governor.
He however lamented over the poor facilities in the teaching hospital, stating that they have just four class rooms which is being shared by ten classes in the campus.
“We sit outside to wait for lecturers at times and our lecturers are resigning because they are earning way below what they are supposed to earn.
We have written letters to the governor which we believe have not reached him, but we want him to speak to us now, being the Grand Commander of Education in the state” he added.
Nwokeji also said that school has received full accreditation but added that the Nigeria University Commision and other bodies come to access the facilities in medical schools at interval and their fear is that the level of facilities and man power in the school might make them lose it this time.
As at the time of this report no government official has come address the protesting medical students.
We will get you details as they unfold.

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Below is the content of the fliers that was being shared by the protesting student

OWELLE COME TO OUR RESCUE – SINKING OF IMO STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL STUDENTS
1.    10yrs of stay in medical school, yet no hope of graduating. The long stay is not the fault of students. Yet, we are forced to pay 10yrs school fees instead of 6yrs.
2.    The accreditation of our medical school is at the verge of being withdrawn because we lack the necessary facilities, adequate number of doctors and lecturers.
3.    Currently the hospital is on strike and our training has been halted. Our professional exams were stopped half-way because of doctors’ strike. This has never happened before in any medical school in the world.
4.    Our exams have been postponed because of the doctors’ strike. Exams don’t come as at when due, therefore prolonging our stay in school.
5.    There are not enough-doctors in the teaching hospital to train us. The few in the hospital are moving away to seek greener pastures.
6.    We don’t have enough lecturers yet the ones we have already are resigning because they are not well paid.
7.    We don’t have class rooms; 10 medical sets and 5 nursing sets share only 4 classrooms.
8.    Few and poor accommodation leaving us in the hands, of the villagers to exploit.
9.    We have a poor library facility.
10.    Incessant strikes in the hospital that disrupts our academic calendar making us to stay longer.
11.    The roads to our teaching hospital are bad.
12.    Because of long stay, our parents have abandoned us.
13.    Many have lost their parents while in school.
14.    Many students are now depressed and psychotic and many more.

watch the president speaking to the press http://youtu.be/J0JXd8ra8WY