Resident Doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Ondo, UNIMEDTH, have embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries and other allowances.

The doctors who converged at the UNIMEDTH Akure Annex to declare the industrial action said they were left with no other option than to commence the indefinite strike after the seven days warning strike earlier carried out did not yield any positive response from the state government.

Addressing journalists, Acting President, National Association of Resident Doctors, UNIMEDTH Ondo, Dr Sanni Oriyomi said his members could no longer work without being paid as the government was still owing them four and half months salaries, COVID allowance and other entitlements.

Dr Oriyomi lamented that the non-payment of salaries had led to the resignation of over fifty resident doctors from the teaching hospital, a situation which he said was not good for patients as they would be left in the hands of frustrated medical experts.

He however mentioned payment of the four and half months’ salary arrears as the minimum requirement to end the strike in the interest of the masses while other demands could be worked upon.

A spokesperson for the doctors, Taiwo Olagbe while also saying the indefinite strike was inevitable in view of the hardship they faced appealed to the state government to accede to their demands in the shortest possible time so that the masses would not suffer for it.

The resident doctors had embarked on series of industrial actions to press home their demands from government including a warning strike which they claimed had not yielded any positive response.

Adebukola Bardi