RESIDENT DOCTORS’ DISPUTE DEEPENS AS NARD WARNS OF WIDER STRIKE OVER LAUTECH CRISIS

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has thrown its weight behind resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, who have embarked on industrial action over unresolved welfare and remuneration issues.

The national body said the doctors had entered the seventh day of their strike as of Friday, warning that the continued failure to address their demands could result in the dispute spreading beyond the hospital to regional and national levels.

NARD President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, said the issues responsible for the industrial action had persisted since last year despite several attempts by the resident doctors to secure commitments from the Oyo State Government and hospital management.

According to the association, the doctors had about three months earlier issued the state government a two-week ultimatum to implement their demands. When the requested action was not taken, the doctors embarked on a five-day warning strike, which was later suspended following appeals from the hospital management and its governing board.

The doctors subsequently gave another eight-week ultimatum for the outstanding matters to be resolved. NARD said that period expired eight days before the latest statement, yet the issues remained unresolved, prompting the resident doctors to begin their current strike.

Among the issues being demanded by the doctors are the payment of Medical Residency Training Funds, outstanding state minimum wage arrears dating from the implementation of the new wage structure in January 2025, and the adoption of the corrected Professional Allowances Table.

The doctors are also demanding the implementation of the new policy regulating excess workload and working hours, alongside the payment of upgrade arrears owed to affected members. NARD said the first four matters fall directly within the responsibility of the Oyo State Government, while the upgrade arrears are to be handled by the hospital management.

Beyond remuneration, the association raised concerns about the working environment at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. It cited serious manpower shortages, unpaid financial obligations, unfulfilled allowance commitments and poor conditions in doctors' call rooms as factors contributing to the difficulties faced by resident doctors.

NARD argued that these conditions could ultimately affect the quality of healthcare delivered to patients. The association maintained that resolving the doctors' concerns would not only address employment-related grievances but also help improve the hospital's ability to provide effective medical services.

The national doctors' body has therefore appealed directly to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene in the dispute and ensure that the outstanding agreements are implemented.

NARD warned that failure to resolve the matter could lead to further industrial action at regional and national levels. The association, however, said such an escalation could still be avoided if the government and hospital authorities acted promptly on the issues already agreed upon.

The warning comes amid renewed concerns over the effect of prolonged disputes involving resident doctors on healthcare delivery. NARD's position indicates that it is prepared to escalate the matter if meaningful progress is not made, although the association continues to call for a resolution through implementation of the doctors' outstanding demands.

For now, the resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital remain on strike, while attention is focused on whether the Oyo State Government and hospital management will engage the doctors and resolve the issues before the dispute develops into wider industrial action.