LAUTECH strike: Alli group knocks Makinde over 30-day doctors’ industrial action - The Guardian Nigeria News
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has criticised the Oyo State Government over the prolonged industrial action by resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, describing the development as detrimental to healthcare delivery in the state.
The organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, on Sunday, said the strike, which it said had lasted for over 30 days, was unacceptable and raised concerns about the welfare and working conditions of medical personnel in the state.
It also expressed concern over the 21-day warning strike issued by the Association of Medical and Dental Officers of Oyo State (AMDO) over unresolved issues relating to welfare, remuneration and conditions of service.
According to the organisation, the grievances of the resident doctors include the payment of outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), six months’ minimum wage arrears and other welfare-related entitlements.
SSACO said the prolonged industrial action was having adverse effects on healthcare delivery, as patients who depend on the teaching hospital for specialised and affordable medical treatment were being forced to seek alternatives or endure prolonged delays in accessing care.
It said the situation was particularly disturbing because medical workers were being compelled to embark on industrial action over issues that could be resolved through dialogue between the government and the affected health workers.
The organisation said: “SSACO is concerned about Governor Seyi Makinde’s failure to sit with the striking resident doctors and find a lasting solution to their demands. As the strike prolongs, the resident doctors feel maltreated, while the masses bear the brunt of government’s insensitivity.
“Healthcare delivery is a critical service which serious administrations treat with urgency and with the importance it deserves. With this prolonged strike, our resident doctors are feeling maltreated while the masses suffer.
“The medical and dental officers across state hospitals have also served notice of a warning strike. This combination is a signal of government failure in the health sector. It is unacceptable in our dear state.”
SSACO said healthcare occupied a priority position in Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda, promising that health workers and other civil servants would not be denied their entitlements under the programme.
“Health workers and other civil servants will not be denied their entitlements. They will enjoy training and retraining, and they will have facilities to work with,” the organisation said.
It warned that continued industrial action in the health sector could have serious consequences for patients who depend on public hospitals for specialised and affordable medical services.
The organisation therefore urged the Makinde administration to engage the striking doctors and address their grievances, saying urgent action was needed to restore normal medical services at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and prevent further disruption across the state’s health sector.
