Doctors working in Oyo State-owned hospitals say they are overstretched and demoralised, as unresolved welfare issues continue to drive colleagues out of the system.
The Nigerian Medical Association, Oyo State Branch, on Monday raised the alarm over the plight of its members in secondary health facilities and at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
The association said doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, and the Association of Medical and Dental Officers of Oyo State, AMDO, are facing mounting frustration over poor remuneration and stalled career growth.
In a joint statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Olufemi Aworinde, and General Secretary, Dr. Jemiludeen Moharson-Bello, the NMA said the challenges can no longer be treated as routine labour complaints.
According to the doctors, the failure to fully implement approved salaries, allowances, promotion and recruitment has left those remaining on duty under intense strain.
“Delay in addressing approved remuneration, allowances, career progression, recruitment and retention have placed doctors under considerable pressure and continue to fuel the loss of skilled medical manpower,” the statement read.
The NMA noted that while it appreciates the state government’s engagement so far, including partial payment of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund, the core welfare concerns of doctors remain unattended.
It lamented that experienced hands are leaving in droves, leaving gaps that are not being filled, a situation that is disrupting residency training and overstretching emergency units.
The professional body maintained that the welfare of its members is directly tied to service delivery.
“Doctors’ welfare is patients’ welfare,” the association stressed.
It warned that what is needed now is concrete intervention, not assurances.
“What is required at this stage is not another cycle of promises, but measurable action capable of restoring confidence among doctors and bringing stability to the health system,” the NMA stated.
The doctors said they remain open to dialogue and are committed to maintaining industrial harmony, but cautioned that the continued neglect of workforce issues threatens to destabilise the system.
“Our overriding concern is the health and safety of the people of Oyo State,” the NMA said, adding that “there can be no sustainable patient care without a supported, adequately remunerated and sufficiently staffed medical workforce.”
