Resident doctors at the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital have begun an indefinite strike due to the non-payment of hazard allowances and poor working conditions.
The doctors on Monday, December 30, held a peaceful protest within the hospital premises, calling for an immediate resolution of irregularities in salary payments and the full implementation of the new minimum wage.
They also demanded an end to illegal salary deductions, a review of excessive tax payments, and the payment of all outstanding hazard allowance arrears.
Olaogbe Kehinde, President of the Ondo State Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, stated that the doctors were overburdened and unable to continue working due to the non-payment of their arrears.
He explained that the strike became unavoidable after the hospital management disregarded their request for a review of the existing conditions.
The strike has drawn attention to the broader issues within the state’s healthcare system, with residents and healthcare professionals hoping for a prompt resolution to improve working conditions and sustain medical services in the region.
“We demand the correction of irregularities and discrepancies in salary payments, the implementation of the new minimum wage scale, and parity in salary payments with other tertiary hospitals as stipulated in the teaching hospital constitution, among other issues,” he said.
He stated that the strike was a tough decision, but the doctors could no longer continue working in conditions that jeopardized their well-being and affected the quality of patient care.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this strike may cause to patients and the public,” he said.
The immediate past President of ARD, John Matthew, also noted that there is a significant salary disparity between doctors in Ondo and those in other states.
“We will not return to work until our demands are met. Money is the core issue because that is what is driving doctors away,” he said.
“There is a huge disparity in payment between Ondo and Ogun States. Doctors will go to states that are offering them good welfare packages but they are worsening the terrible welfare here.”
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