Doctors in Lagos State have hinted that they will withdraw their services if the government and hospital authorities fail to address their grievances.
The doctors, under the aegis of the Lagos State branch of the the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) urged authorities to address their concerns about unpaid salaries, arbitrary deductions, and poor welfare conditions.
In a communiqué issued yesterday after its Emergency General Meeting (EGM) held virtually on August 15, the association accused the Lagos State government of “subjecting doctors to financial hardship” and the management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) of “deliberate neglect” of doctors’ welfare.
The NMA said it would embark on a solidarity strike in September if the state government does not meet the demands of the Medical Guild, which has given a 21-day ultimatum ending today.
NMA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Saheed Babajide Kehinde, said: “Doctors cannot continue to work under conditions where their salaries are arbitrarily deducted, their call duty meals are denied, and their arrears remain unpaid. Enough is enough.”
A faceoff between the doctors and the state government began in April when the Ggovernment, through the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury Office, made what te doctors called unauthorised deductions from their salaries. Although the deductions were later refunded, the same incident reportedly recurred in July.
Despite protests, the July salaries have not been refunded, prompting the Medical Guild to stage a three-day warning strike between July 28 and 30.
The guild subsequently issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government, demanding immediate refund of the July deductions and full payment of August salaries.
The NMA said it fully supports the guild’s decision.
“If by August 25 these issues remain unresolved, the Medical Guild will down tools indefinitely. NMA Lagos will join in solidarity two weeks later if the government continues to ignore us,” the communiqué stated.
