- Lagos Govt Urges Doctors to Call Off Three-Day Warning Strike
- The State Government said it recognises the concerns raised by the guild’s leadership
- The government commended residents for their patience and understanding
The Lagos State Government has appealed to medical doctors to suspend their planned three day warning strike due to begin today, saying talks with the Medical Guild are ongoing, Eko Hot Blog reports.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health’s Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state is addressing the doctors’ grievances with urgency and sincerity.
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The Medical Guild, which represents doctors employed by the state, announced the warning strike on July 26.
The three day warning strike, set to begin on Monday, was announced by the Medical Guild during a press conference on Saturday.
The Lagos State Government said it recognises the concerns raised by the guild’s leadership and stressed that it remains committed to the welfare, motivation and productivity of all healthcare workers in the state.
“A conciliation committee comprising representatives from both the Medical Guild and the Government was previously constituted to resolve all outstanding issues.
“Meetings have been held, and documents submitted by the guild are being carefully reviewed in line with existing policies and fiscal regulations.
“As a responsible government, we value the critical role our healthcare professionals play in delivering quality and timely health services to the over 20 million residents of Lagos State.
“We urge the medical guild to continue on the path of dialogue while we work to reach a peaceful and just resolution in the interest of all parties, especially the residents who may bear the brunt of any service disruption,” the government said.
The government commended residents for their patience and understanding and assured the public that contingency plans are in place to reduce disruptions to healthcare services during the strike period.
At a news conference held at the guild’s secretariat in Lagos, Chairman Dr. Japhet Olugbogi said the decision to embark on a warning strike followed several unsuccessful attempts to resolve the matter through dialogue.
He explained that the dispute dates back to April, when the state government allegedly made unilateral deductions from doctors’ salaries.
Although the deductions were later reversed following what he described as “spirited intervention and strategic engagement,” the situation relapsed in July with a fresh round of deductions, ‘’this time without prior notice or explanation.”
According to NAN, the doctors outlined key demands including the immediate reversal of the July salary deductions and full payment of 12 months of revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure arrears owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
