The Association of Resident Doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo State, has commenced a 14-day warning strike over the non-payment of seven months’ salaries to their new members.

Members of the association, who staged a protest on the premises of the facility on Tuesday, vowed to ground the activities at the government-owned medical facility if their demands were not meant.

President of the UNIMEDTH ARD, Dr John Matthew, who spoke with journalists during the protest, lamented that their members were yet to be paid their entitlements.

According to him, other reasons for the warning strike, include the non-provision of palliatives to house officers since February, the non-payment of February hazard allowance despite promise by the state government to pay two months, and the dearth of staff due to the resignation of doctors from the institution.

He lamented that only 26 members of ARD remained in the hospital against 150 members a few months ago.

He said, “We demand full payment of the arrears of salaries owed our members and payment of February 2024 palliative to our house officers.

“Management should pay February hazard allowance to our members and urgently address the severe clinical manpower shortage in the institution. Our members work every day. There are no staff members due to Japa syndrome.

The state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association has called on the state government to address the issue of shortage of resident doctors in state-owned hospitals.

In a communiqué issued by the state chairman of the association, Dr Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe, after its meeting, the association said many of the doctors in the state had left for greener pastures, while some who are still in Nigeria had left the state for another state.

The communique read, “There is dire shortage of health personnel in the state. Doctors have refused to take up employment with the Ondo State Government.

“It was also observed that numerous doctors within the Ondo State Civil Service left for greener pastures locally (neighbouring states such as Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Kwara, Delta) and internationally, African Countries: Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, etc and outside the continent: United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Germany, etc.

“As of the time of writing this communiqué, there are only 22 resident doctors at UNIMEDTHC compared to the previous figure of 150 resident doctors.”

Credit: Punch