Pay doctors’ nine months salaries, NMA tells Aregbesola

Femi Makinde, Osogbo

The Nigerian Medical Association has called on Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to pay the outstanding salaries of doctors and improve on the condition of service and work environment in the interest of the people.

 The Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr. Suraj Ogunyemi, made the call in his address at the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the association held in Osogbo on Friday.

Ogunyemi appealed to the state governor to make use of the opportunity offered by the suspension of the doctors’ strike which lasted nine months to settle the arrears and address the issues that necessitated the action.

He said, “As an association, we are greatly committed to the welfare of our members, most especially those working with the Osun State Government, who have not been paid salaries for several months.

 “Our association was engaged in a protracted struggle with the Osun State Government on the issue of salaries and poor condition of service and working environments.

 “We hope that the state government will take the advantage of the current period of ceasefire between the two parties to sincerely and positively address all pending issues in the interest of the good people of Osun State.

 “I want to use this opportunity to once again call on the Osun State Government to pay the outstanding salaries without further delay.”

 The resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo and the Osun State Association of Medical Doctors embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands on September 28, 2015.

The resident doctors, who were the last to suspend their strike, did so on July 4, 2016.

 The NMA Chairman said the health sector, like others, was being plagued by corruption.

 The Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, said there should be laws in place and proper enforcement mechanisms to deter people involved in corrupt practices.

 The Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Jerome Elusiyan, said an accreditation team which came to the hospital openly demanded for “settlement” to accredit courses in the hospital.