Members of the Association Resident Doctors, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State on Wednesday began an indefinite strike action after the management did not meet their demands.
Addressing journalists in Owo, the chairman of the association, Dr. Ahmed Olanipekun, said the association embarked on the industrial action because the management failed to regularise the appointment of over 22 medical officers employed on casual basis.
Olanipekun also accused the management of calculated attempts to destroy the residency programme and alteration of the letter of offer of appointment of house officers.
He said, “The management has altered the letter of offer of appointment for house officers with effect from July 13, 2016 by the clause which states that “house officers cannot participate in any strike action whatsoever in the course of their internship training”.
“Our members and other doctors in the FMC, Owo have been denied their full salary since January 2016 while non-doctors in the hospital have continued to enjoy the same “
He added that members of the association were still being owed, despite the claimed by the management of the hospital that it had paid the arrears of update and exam fees and upgrading arrears of the members of the association since 2014.
“We are also surprised that the same management later claimed that these arrears cannot be paid since it was owed by the past management of the hospital” Olanipekun explained
The management of the hospital described the doctors’ allegations as baseless and unfounded, appealing to them to call off the action.
The Head of Clinical Services of the hospital, Mr. Adekunle Adesokan, said the agitation of the doctors was not peculiar to the hospital, saying the management was ready to dialogue with the doctors.
The chairman declared that the members of the association would not return to work until all the issues raised against the FMC management were resolved.
