Medical doctors in Ogun State will on September 1, embark on an indefinite strike action over unpaid hazard allowance by the Federal Government.
Daily Report Nigeria reports that about 450 doctors at public health facilities in Ogun State plan to go on strike indefinitely and suspend services next month.
The doctors include those working at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital and various general hospitals and primary medical centers across the state, as well as those working with the Ministry of Health and Health Administration.
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Checks showed that a total of 450 doctors worked at various public health facilities in the state.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA at its Annual General Meeting, AGM held on 10 August 2023, gave an ultimatum within 21 days to the State Government to pay off the remaining hazard debts.
The NMA, in a letter dated August 11, 2023, stated the AGA (the medical association’s highest decision-making body) has agreed to take industrial action should the Governor not meet the new 21-day deadline which will expire on August 31.
The letter addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the NMA respectively read that should the government fail to pay the risk allowance in full with the amount owed from January 1, 2023, there will be industrial conflicts in the state health sector.
The state’s NMA chair, Dr Kunle Ashimi confirmed that doctors at public health facilities will go on strike indefinitely should the government fail to fulfill the promises it made during the election.
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Ashimi said:
“There is this hazard allowance we have been clamoring for. The doctors at federal institutions are already collecting it, but the state institutions have not.
“We’ve had several meetings with the government as regards that. On March 5, during the electioneering campaign, Governor Dapo Abiodun promised to pay all the health workers in Ogun State, but it was an audio promise. We have had several engagements with them, but nothing has been done.
“It was because of the pressure mounted on them to fulfill the promises that they came up with the idea of giving palliatives to doctors. They now listed hazard allowance under it, but the doctor disagreed that there is a difference between hazard allowance and palliative.
“We expected that the government would make a move, and when we did not see anything, during our last AGM, it was agreed that we should give them another 21-day ultimatum, that if they did not pay or doctors were short-paid, there would be a statewide strike of all the doctors working with state hospitals and facilities across the state. All doctors in general hospitals, primary health care centres, and teaching hospitals would also be involved.”
