Doctors in Oyo State have threatened to embark on a seven-day warning strike starting October 2 if the state government fails to address their demands regarding welfare and working conditions.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State chapter, stated that the action would impact members at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
NMA chairman, Dr Happy Adedapo, told newsmen on Wednesday that doctors were battling poor welfare, inadequate infrastructure, and exhaustion. He stated that the strike was intended to draw government attention to the crisis.
“We have engaged the deputy governor, the deputy speaker, the commissioner of health, and even written to the governor himself to find lasting solutions. We are not demanding too much as a labourer is worthy of his wage,” Adedapo said.
The doctors issued a 15-day ultimatum on September 18, listing demands that included improved pay, prompt allowance payments, the recruitment of more medical staff, and upgrades to hospital infrastructure. Adedapo warned that failure to act could trigger a collapse of healthcare services across the state. He urged Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene urgently.
Resident doctors at LAUTECH have been on an indefinite strike since July 29, with reports of patients stranded and some deaths linked to the dispute.
The NMA says one of the key grievances is the non-implementation of the minimum wage for LAUTECH staff, despite its enforcement for other healthcare workers in the state.
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