Medical doctors in Ondo State have issued an eight-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding urgent action over unpaid allowances and deteriorating working conditions across public health facilities.
Under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Association, Ondo State branch, the doctors said their welfare had been neglected, warning that failure to address their demands could trigger industrial action.
The state chairman of the association, Dr Muyiwa Alonge, in a statement on Monday, accused the government of failing to implement key Federal Government circulars affecting doctors’ salaries and benefits.
He identified the circulars as those on consequential salary adjustment and accoutrement allowance, noting that they had been implemented in other states for nearly a year, while Ondo doctors were yet to benefit.
Alonge lamented that, aside from the unpaid entitlements, doctors were still being owed promotion allowances for 2024, with no fresh recruitment to replace those who had exited the system.
According to him, the mass migration of medical personnel had worsened the situation, leaving the few remaining doctors overstretched and forced to cope with excessive workloads under difficult conditions.
He said, “Many of our members now do the work of several doctors. Some facilities have just one doctor handling everything. We operate in poor environments, often with obsolete or non-existent equipment, yet we are expected to deliver quality healthcare.”
The association added that despite several letters and meetings with government officials, no meaningful progress had been made, stressing that if the government fails to act before April 28, it would convene an emergency congress to decide its next line of action, including a possible strike.
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