Ondo state resident doctors begin strike over unpaid entitlement
The Resident Doctors at the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), have begun an indefinite strike over the non-payment of hazard allowances and poor working conditions.
Penpushing reports that the strike which commenced on Monday, followed a peaceful protest within the hospital’s premises after repeated unmet demands by the hospital’s management which include immediate resolution to irregularities and discrepancies in salary payments, as well as the full implementation of the new minimum wage.
The health workers who down tools also called for an end to illegal deductions from their salaries, a review of exorbitant tax payments, and payment of all hazard allowance arrears, which they claimed the management turned deaf ears to.
Penpushing further reports that the President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the state, Dr Olaogbe Kehinde, while speaking with journalists said the strike action became inevitable because the medical practitioners were overstretched and could no longer work due to the non-payment of their arrears.
The association boss pointed out that many Doctors in the state had resigned from their jobs while others left without prior notification due to poor working conditions, adding that the hospital’s management had ignored their request for a review of these conditions.
“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.
Penpushing also reports that Kehinde said the strike action was a difficult decision, but the Doctors could no longer work under conditions that undermine their well-being and compromise patients’ care.
The President of the body urged the state government to expedite payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances, improve working conditions at the three centres across the state, and ensure prompt implementation of their demands, just as he appealed for inconveniences their action may cause patients.
Penpushing reports that in similar vein, the Immediate past President of the association, Dr John Matthew, stated that the disparity between the salaries of Doctors in Ondo State and those in other states is significant, largely due to illegal deductions and taxes, noting that many Doctors in the state have taken up appointments 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. 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’, he said
Penpushing further reports that the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr Gbala Micheal, however, pleaded with the striking Doctors for more time to enable management address their grievances, assuring them that the state government would invite the striking Doctors to a meeting and address their agitations.
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