Resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH TH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have commenced an indefinite strike following the failure of the hospital management and the Oyo State Government to address their long-standing demands.
The industrial action, which began at midnight on July 29, was declared after months of unsuccessful engagements and a grace period granted by the doctors to encourage intervention from relevant authorities.
In a letter dated July 28 and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Olawale Olakulehin, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital lamented the persistent neglect of critical issues affecting their welfare and working conditions.
The letter, signed by the association’s President, Dr. Stephen Adedokun, and General Secretary, Dr. Adedapo Mustapha, stated that the doctors had exhausted all peaceful avenues to resolve the impasse.
“Despite an ample window of engagement granted over the past three months and three weeks, it is with deep concern that we hereby declare a total and indefinite industrial action,” the letter read.
“This decision comes after extensive internal consultations and the continued non-implementation of our key demands by the management and the state government.”
Earlier in April, the doctors had suspended a month-long strike to allow for dialogue, but according to them, little progress was made.
In a follow-up letter dated July 8, the ARD gave a three-week ultimatum, during which formal notices were sent to the hospital authorities and the Oyo State Government. That grace period expired on July 29.
Speaking with The Punch, Dr. Adedokun expressed disappointment over the government’s inaction, stating, “We resumed our strike because the promises made when we suspended our previous action were not fulfilled. The situation at the hospital continues to deteriorate, and we are losing doctors daily due to poor remuneration and working conditions.”
The association had previously warned of an imminent collapse of the hospital, citing a significant drop in the number of resident doctors from nearly 270 to less than 65. In an open letter dated July 4, addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde, they described the situation as alarming and unsustainable.
Among the unresolved issues are the implementation of the new minimum wage with arrears dating back to January 2025, disbursement of the Medical Residency Training Fund, payment of accoutrement allowance, recruitment of additional resident doctors, and the renovation of call rooms.
The ARD called on the hospital management to treat the matter with urgency to prevent prolonged disruption of services. “We remain open to dialogue and peaceful resolution, but duty resumption will only follow concrete and acceptable steps toward meeting our demands,” the letter concluded.