Doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH-ARD), South west Nigeria, have threatened to commence a three-day total warning strike from Monday night, 15 June, to Friday, 19 June.
The action, the group said, is in protest over unpaid allowances, stalled construction of residential quarters, and what it described as slow implementation of welfare measures, which it agreed with the Lagos State government.
The group warned that failure by the state to meet their demands during the warning strike or within a few days afterwards could prompt further action by the association.
Speaking at a press conference held at LASUTH, the association listed several grievances, including the incomplete residential quarters for resident doctors, non-payment of arrears, promotion owed and delayed implementation of revised professional and specialist allowances.
President of LASUTH-ARD, Dr Alaba Gabriel Akerele, said the association was deeply concerned about the state government’s repeated delays in fulfilling promises to increase doctors’ remuneration in line with pay rises granted by the federal government to doctors in federal institutions.
Also, after an Ordinary General Meetinga (OGM), members expressed dissatisfaction that work on the resident doctors’ quarters has yet to resume despite earlier assurances from relevant authorities and stakeholders.
‘The OGM also noted that arrears of promotion-related payments remain unpaid, a situation the state previously attributed to procedural and systemic issues.
Members raised an alarm about the slow rollout of the revised professional allowance and the specialist allowance for Senior Registrar 1 (SR1) at LASUTH, and protested the non-payment of teaching allowances to registrars and house officers.
The association further criticised delays in disbursing the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to eligible resident doctors at LASUTH, despite commitments by the Lagos State Government to the fund.
Referring to national-level concerns, LASUTH-ARD said negotiations and implementation of the Medical and Health Workers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by the federal government remain unsatisfactory and require urgent acceleration.
The OGM also expressed ‘serious concern’ over a rise in assaults, harassment and violent attacks against doctors and other health workers at LASUTH, across Lagos State and across Nigeria, calling such incidents inhuman, unacceptable and a threat to the fragile health system.
Akerele stressed that the strike is aimed at pressuring authorities to deliver on outstanding welfare and safety commitments.
Source: Breezy News
