Ogun doctors lament delay in salary, hazard allowance payment

• Deny signing MoU with govt over the plight
• Group faults doctors’ decision to embark on strike

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, has lamented the delay in the payment of its members’ salaries, hazard allowances and unfair treatment of government to their plight.

The association also denied signing any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government over their plight.

In a statement signed yesterday by the association’s President, Dr. Popoola Abiodun and General Secretary, Dr. Osundara Adewale, titled “Ogun Resident Doctors Protest Against Continued Unfair Treatment,” the body stated: “Perpetually, we have been having our salaries delayed for no good reason.

We had our salaries in April paid at the middle of May when other workers in the state were paid in April despite working during the period of the lockdown.

“Other workers in the state have been paid their May salaries as of May 21, 2020, but here we are still expecting the miracle. This kind of ill-treatment does not speak well of a government that proclaims to care for all.”

Meanwhile, the Centre for Society Health Advocacy (CSHA) has faulted the decision of the Association of Resident Doctors (Ogun State Chapter) to go ahead with its decision to embark on strike over its disagreement with the state government.

It said the reasons adduced for the strike were rather unfortunate and too weak to justify industrial action at a critical time of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The group said that going by the various efforts of Governor Dapo Abiodun to address the issues of welfare for health workers, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing other than partisan political motivation could explain ARD’s latest action.

In a statement by its Secretary-General, Dr. Godwin Ekpenobi, in Abuja, the group urged the resident doctors to rescind their decision and return to work, adding that it is high time those with the sacred calling of caring for human life shun the temptation of sacrificing professionalism on the altar of petty politics.