Workers of the Ondo state-owned University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital have staged a peaceful protest to demand payment of their salary arrears between 2018 and 2020.

The workers blocked the entrance to the hospital as early as 7:30 am with placards and chanted solidarity songs.

They said it was wrong for the hospital management to pay doctors arrears owed and excluded other categories of staff.

A medical scientist, Oluwafemi Akinboboye, said the protest was to demand payment of the money owed to all categories of staff.

He said: “We have nurses, accountants, pharmacists,.laboratory staff here protesting the non-payment of arrears. Some are owed as much as 13 months arrears.

“Our leaders met with the former CMD, Dr. Ige but the management only paid the doctors and left other categories of staff. We wrote letters to them but nothing was done. They didn’t answer us. We are pleading with the state government to come and assist us with the payment. All categories of staff are affected. The only people not here are the doctors. The payment is long overdue.”

Another protester, Olatunde Oluwafemi, said many affected staff have resigned due to inability to cope with non-payment of salary.

He said: “We want them to pay us our salary arrears. It is bad to be owing somebody arrears for nine months. Many people have left the job because they could no longer feed their families.”

A nurse at the hospital, Oriole Joy, said she joined in the protest because she was owed two months arrears

“This is not the first time for us to protest. We are not fighting the management but asking the government to come and assist with the payment.”

Acting medical director of the hospital, Olumide Micheal Gbala, said it would be difficult to borrow money to pay all the salary arrears.

Gbala assured that his administration would gradually pay the arrears and pledged not to victimise any staff that joined in the protest.

He noted: “You will see the sincerity in me. I am concerned about staff welfare which was why I increased the salary of security personnel by N20,000.

“We will engage everybody. It is only when staff are happy I can succeed. I feel your pain and I need your support.”

The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide due to concerns over a rare and dangerous side effect.

This development came months after the pharmaceutical giant admitted for the first time in court documents that the vaccine can cause a rare and dangerous side effect, The Telegraph reports.

The company disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

The vaccine can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its “marketing authorisation”.

The application for withdrawal was submitted on March 5 and took effect on Tuesday.

Similar applications will be made in the UK and other countries that had previously approved the vaccine, also known as Vaxzevria.

The decision to withdraw it brings to an end the use of the jab, which was heralded by Boris Johnson as a “triumph for British science” and credited with saving more than six million lives.

AstraZeneca disclosed that the vaccine was being removed from markets for commercial reasons.

The manufacturer added that the vaccine was no longer being manufactured or supplied, saying it has been superseded by updated vaccines that tackle new variants.

The statement read, “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally.

“Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic.

“As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.

“We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

In recent months, the Vaxzevria vaccine faced significant scrutiny due to an extremely rare side effect involving blood clots and low blood platelet counts.

AstraZeneca acknowledged in court documents filed with the High Court in February that the vaccine can in very uncommon instances, lead to Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.

TTS – which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome has been associated with at least 81 fatalities in the UK, along with numerous severe injuries.

AstraZeneca is currently facing a lawsuit from over 50 individuals who claim to have suffered due to TTS, as well as from grieving family members in a High Court case.

However, AstraZeneca maintained that their decision to withdraw the vaccine is unrelated to the ongoing court proceedings or their acknowledgement of the vaccine’s potential association with TTS.

They said the timing of this withdrawal is purely coincidental.

A Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Bolaji Salako, has issued caution to Muslim faithfuls on the need to engage in healthy fasting exercise.

Salako said fasting during Ramadan can pose certain health risks, like kidney problems.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Ibadan on Monday, Salako said dehydration during fasting posed a lot of concerns due to the hot climate.

He warned that fasting not properly observed can affect blood sugar level for those battling with diabetes.

“Not drinking water for long hours can lead to dehydration, which can result in fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and even more serious complications like kidney challenges if not addressed.

“It is crucial for fasting individuals to stay hydrated during non-fasting hours,” Salako said.

He also identified nutritional deficiencies because fasting involved abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours, which can sometimes lead to imbalances in nutrient intake.

Salako charged those engaging in fasting to consume balanced diets during non-fasting hours.

He said that consuming diets that are not balanced could potentially lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals if not managed properly.

“Additionally, fasting can affect blood sugar levels, especially for individuals with diabetes.

“It is important for those with diabetes and other diseases like hypertension and cancer to work closely with their medical doctors to adjust their medication schedules and monitor their health conditions carefully during Ramadan,” Salako said.