Doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital say years of unfulfilled promises have pushed them to breaking point, and they are warning that patient care in Oyo State could soon suffer if nothing changes.
In a statement on Saturday, the Nigerian Medical Association said it was speaking for members of the Association of Resident Doctors, LAUTECH Ogbomoso, who have spent months trying to get the Oyo State Government to honour agreements on pay and working conditions.
NMA President, Prof. Afekhide Omoti, said the issues go beyond paperwork. They directly affect the doctors on the frontlines and the people they treat.
“These are not mere administrative requests. They are legitimate welfare and workplace concerns that directly affect the wellbeing of doctors and, ultimately, the quality and safety of healthcare delivery,” Omoti stated.
The doctors listed several outstanding demands. They include immediate payment of minimum wage arrears dating back to January 2025, release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund to all eligible residents, implementation of the Corrected Professional Allowances Table, enforcement of the Call/Work-Hour Regulatory Policy, and payment of upgrade arrears owed to some doctors.
For the resident doctors, the burden has become personal. Long shifts, low pay and too few hands, they argue, are leading to burnout.
The NMA warned that “excessive workload, poor remuneration and an overstretched workforce could contribute to burnout and fatigue, with implications for clinical performance, patient safety and health outcomes.”
“A healthcare system cannot thrive when those entrusted with saving lives are themselves pushed beyond sustainable limits,” the association added.
According to the NMA, the ARD LAUTECH chapter has held back from industrial action for about three months to allow dialogue. But with no concrete results, patience is wearing thin.
The association is now calling on Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene directly.
“Such decisive intervention is necessary to avert further escalation and prevent a potentially avoidable disruption of medical services in Oyo State and beyond,” it said.
The NMA also said meeting the agreements would lift morale and improve service delivery across the state.
It commended the Oyo NMA branch for sustaining advocacy and restated its willingness to keep talking with the government.
“The health of the people of Oyo State must remain paramount. The welfare of the doctors entrusted with protecting that health must therefore not be treated as an afterthought,” Omoti said.
