Doctors in Ondo State under the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Ondo chapter, on Tuesday, began an indefinite strike over alleged poor working conditions and welfare packages.
The resident doctors had on Monday staged a protest against the management of the state-owned teaching hospital, accusing it of ignoring their demands.
The doctors highlighted several issues fuelling their industrial action, including illegal salary deductions, exorbitant taxes, and the non-payment of hazard allowances.
Speaking to journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday, the President of UNIMEDTH ARD, Dr. Olaogbe Kehinde, lamented the increasing workload on doctors due to mass resignations triggered by poor welfare.
“Many doctors have left the hospital without prior notice because of the harsh conditions of service.
“Despite our repeated calls for a review of our working conditions, the management has failed to address the critical issues affecting us,” Kehinde said.
He outlined the association’s demands, which include correction of salary irregularities and discrepancies, implementation of the new minimum wage scale and parity in salary payments with other tertiary hospitals as stipulated in the teaching hospital constitution.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this strike may cause to patients and the public, but we have been pushed to the wall,” he added.
The immediate past President of ARD in UNIMEDTH, Dr. John Matthew, corroborated Kehinde’s claims, stressing that poor welfare had driven many doctors out of the state to seek better opportunities elsewhere.
“Doctors are leaving Ondo State because of the wide disparity in salaries compared to other states like Ogun. Illegal deductions, excessive taxes, and poor welfare are worsening an already terrible situation.
“We will not return to work until our demands are met. This is about survival. The hospital was even disconnected from the national grid at some point, forcing us to sleep and work in darkness,” Matthew lamented.
Responding to the strike, the Chief Medical Director of UNIMEDTH, Dr. Gbala Micheal, appealed for patience, assuring the doctors that management would address their grievances.
“We are committed to resolving these issues, but we need more time to put things in place,” Micheal said.
