The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State chapter, has announced plans to embark on a seven-day warning strike from October 2 if the state government fails to address the welfare concerns of its members at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Happy Adedapo, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Ibadan. He said the action aims to draw attention to pressing issues confronting healthcare workers, including deteriorating welfare, inadequate infrastructure, and burnout.
Adedapo noted that the association had issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government on September 18. Their demands include improved remuneration, timely payment of allowances, recruitment of more medical staff, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced governance structures for LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.
“We have engaged the deputy governor, deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, the commissioner of health, and members of the Oyo State Council of Elders. We have also written letters to the governor himself, but to no avail. We are not demanding too much, as a labourer is worthy of his wage,” he said.
He stressed that the strike would go ahead unless the government begins concrete steps to address the issues raised. Adedapo also warned that failure to act could lead to the total collapse of healthcare services in the state.
The NMA called on Governor Seyi Makinde and other stakeholders to urgently intervene and avert a looming crisis in the state’s healthcare system.
