Patients Groan As Resident Doctors Begin Strike In Ondo |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

Worried by their conditions of service and Government’s alleged nonchalant attitude, Resident Doctors at the University Of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital in Ondo State, on Monday, began indefinite strike.

They are, also, unhappy about non payment of salaries and COVID-19 allowances.

The doctors had, on Sunday, last week, embarked on a three-day warning strike which expired on Tuesday, with a threat that they would embark on a full, and indefinite strike on Monday to press home their demands.

According to them, they would only consider returning to work when their salaries and allowances are paid.

Addressing newsmen at the Teaching Hospital complex in Akure, the state capital on Monday, Acting President of Association of Resident Doctors, UNIMED Teaching Hospital, Ondo, Dr. Oriyomi Sanni , disclosed that the hospital is short of staff.

“We are short staffed, the Resident Doctors have been reduced in some of the departments. With this development, some of the doctors would have to do back to back calls. This is detrimental to our health. It is also not considered safe for the patients, we are treating because we easily get overwhelmed.

“We have been working without House Officers, coupled with the fact that we are shorts-staffed. We are saying no to all these.

“The issue of COVID-19 hazard allowance compared to what is being received in other states, we only received allowance for the month of June, and 30 per cent of basic salary as against what we agreed with the Government when we had series of meetings.

“Resident Doctors are supposed to be residing in the hospital, but at present, we don’t reside in the hospital. We are left to search for accommodation on our own.

“Some of our members shuttle between Ondo and Akure complexes on daily basis without allowance paid for this.

“Having persevered and cared for our patients, rendering our services, our salaries are not being paid. We are owed up to the tune of four and a half months salaries.

“We are finding it difficult to meet up with our obligations in our different homes. We can no longer pay our children’s school fees, we cannot cater for our families.

“After the warning strike, all we have been getting before now are series of promises and pleas which do not translate to solving the problems at hand.

“We have been left with no other option than to commence an indefinite strike today.

“So, we are calling on both the Management of the hospital, and the State Government, that they should come up with solutions to all these challenges. The most paramount is the issue of our salaries.

“We have issued the minimum demand for which this strike would be suspended or called off, at least our January salary shortfall must be paid, the June and August salaries must be paid. Though we are yet to receive September and October salaries.

“Some of our members were being harassed by law enforcement agents during COVID-19 lockdown because we do not have any means of identification.

“It is not in our interest, or interest of our patients to embark on this strike. It’s just that we have become helpless and could not cope.”