From: Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State Branch, has written a solidarity letter to Governor Abiola Ajimobi informing of an impending strike by its members.The strike threat was coming in the heels of inability to pay the 70 per cent salary shortfalls of resident doctors of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

The NMA has, therefore, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the governor before embarking on the warning strike.

The Resident Doctors of the hospital in the state had reportedly been on 30 per cent salary since January, 2016 and agitations from the hospital’s doctors and from other quarters have yet to yield expected results.

But in the letter dated November 13, 2017, titled Notice of warning strike’ and signed by the association’s chairman, Dr. Omolola M. Atalabi-Oladele, and General Secretary, Dr. Abimbola Sojimi, the doctors are urging the state government’s attention to find solution to the salary issue or the doctors in the state would go on the warning strike.

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The letter to the governor reads: “Consequent upon series of efforts and avenues to seek audience with you towards the resolution of current crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, which unfortunately have not yielded the expected result, in meeting you for deliberation and possible solution.

“The Association has thus decided to take a painful path of embarking on a warning strike with the aim of helping to motivate well-meaning Nigerians and Oyo State indigenes to intervene in resolving the current avoidable crisis.

“The Association is striving to help prevent total destruction of the institution which the current attitude and posture of the government of Oyo State portends.

“This is to hereby give the government of Oyo State a 14- days’ notice starting from this day, the 13th November, 2017, of warning strike that is planned to last 3 days.

“We sincerely hope that the government would act proactively and prevent avoidable morbidity and mortality that the total shutdown of health facilities in the state would cause. You are assured of our highest regards and cooperation. Thanks”, the letter reads.