Doctors decide to suspend 7-day warning strike in Osun State

Doctors protesting

    The Osun State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Tuesday directed its members working with state government to resume work after a seven-day warning strike over salary arrears and poor working condition. The doctors began the strike on Sept. 18. The directive for resumption of work is contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the NMA Chairman, Dr. Tokunbo Olajumoke and Secretary, Olalekan Ajayi.

    It said the strike was suspended due to the intervention of well meaning stakeholders, who assured the association that the state government would address their grievances. The association said the strike became necessary because of the poor condition of facilities in state hospitals and poor welfare. According to the communiqué, the poor facilities have affected the quality of health care services rendered to citizens and had negatively affected the health indices of the state.

   “Osun had experienced an unprecedented brain drain in the health sector as a result of the various unimaginable welfare challenges facing doctors in the employment of the state which had caused an alarming instability in the sector,” the association stated. Some of the issues in contention include “inappropriate and demeaning remuneration”, withholding of four to six months doctors emoluments, over taxation among others.