TheCable

The Ondo state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has given Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of the state, seven days to pay allowances to its members.

The association took the position on Friday after a meeting in Akure, capital city of Ondo.

In a communique issued after the meeting, Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe and Adeayo Omotehinse, chair and secretary of Ondo NMA respectively, said doctors are abandoning their state’s healthcare sector for other states.

They said there used to be at least five doctors at the general hospitals, but the figure has been reduced to one.

“The congress also resolved to give an ultimatum of seven days to the Government of Ondo State to implement the approved hazard allowance. This being the lowest hanging fruits,” the communique reads.

“Failure to implement this after the expiration of the seven days, the relative industrial harmony in the state health sector shall no longer be guaranteed.

“The congress shall reconvene after the expiration of the stated period to chart a way forward.

“It observed that, the state general hospitals located at Iwaro-Oka, Ipe, Irele, and Ido-Ani where we used to have at least five doctors per general hospital, now have a doctor per general hospital and this doctor is expected to be on call every day of the week and that same doctor is also expected to see to the day to day running of the hospital.

“This is reminiscent of the slave trade era, where slaves work every minute each day.

“He pleaded with opinion leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, stakeholders and all Ondo state residents interested in a healthy Ondo state to prevail on the government to declare a state of emergency in the state health sector with the aim of proffering effective measures and solutions to the sector’s numerous challenges.

“The congress noted with deep sadness the huge disparities in the salaries of doctors working in Ondo state and that of Ekiti state, Osun state, Kwara state, Edo state to mention a few in one hand, and that of the doctors working with federal civil service in another hand.”

They said Aiyedatiwa should emulate the Ekiti state government in its care for medical personnel.