The Association of Resident Doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Friday commenced an indefinite strike to press home their demands.

The doctors, In a memo titled “Notice of industrial action,” addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof Olawale Olakulehin, and dated March 6, 2025, stated that the ARD ’ongress unanimously decided to proceed on industrial action from 12:00 am March 7, 2025, till its demands are met.

The notice, signed by the ARD President, Dr. Stephen Adedokun, and the General Secretary, Dr. Adedapo Mustapha, expressed dissatisfaction over the failure to meet the demands.

The demands of the doctors include the non-payment of the minimum wage despite implementating it for other health workers in the state, a significant shortfall in the February salary in breach of agreement that was reached during the management meeting with the unions, deduction of insurance indemnity without the association’s approval, neglect of repair of dilapidated call rooms despite appeals, gross manpower shortage across all departments.

Other demands include non-implementation of accoutrement allowance, delay in payment of upgrade-arrears for members owed, delayed payment of examination and update course refunds, non-payment of Medical Residency Training Fund.

The doctors, however, seek the immediate refund of short fall of February salary, payment of new minimum wage with arrears, repair of dilapidated call rooms, adverts for employment of resident doctors across all departments, payment of accoutrement allowance, refund for update course and examination fees, payment of MRTF, and payment of upgrade arrears for members owed.

“Owing to the issues mentioned, the congress unanimously decided to proceed on total indefinite industrial action from 12:00 am March 7, 2025, till our demands are met,” the memo partly read.

Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, Adedokun said the doctors have written to Governor Seyi Makinde, and the Commissioners severally but nothing has been done regarding their demands.

“We have met with the commissioners of health and establishment on several occasions. All the unions of doctors met and signed the minimum wage bill in January and it was implemented for others in February with arrears from January.

“While we were expecting the payment of minimum wage, we were greeted with a decrease in salary in February, and that is the reason for the outcry, amidst the background of shortage of manpower and burnout amongst the workforce,” he said. (The PUNCH)