Resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso have commenced an indefinite strike following the failure of hospital management and Oyo State government to address their longstanding grievances.
The Association of Resident Doctors issued the strike notice on Monday after a three-week ultimatum expired without resolution of key demands including implementation of the new minimum wage with arrears, payment of Medical Residency Training Fund, and recruitment of additional doctors.
LAUTECH ARD President Dr. Stephen Adedokun told Kiin360 the action became necessary after exhausting all negotiation avenues. “We suspended our April strike in good faith, but the government has failed to honour its commitments,” he said.
The doctors highlighted critical staffing shortages, revealing the hospital’s resident doctor workforce has dwindled from 270 to under 65 due to poor remuneration and working conditions. They warned of total system collapse if their demands remain unaddressed.
This industrial action comes six months after Oyo State implemented the new minimum wage for other healthcare workers while excluding LAUTECH staff, creating what doctors describe as unsustainable pay disparities.
Hospital management has yet to issue an official response to the strike that has paralyzed medical services at the tertiary facility. Patients are being redirected to alternative healthcare centers as the standoff continues.
The Oyo State government faces mounting pressure to intervene as the strike compounds healthcare challenges in the state, already grappling with medical brain drain and infrastructure deficits.
