Medical doctors in Ogun State on Wednesday stormed the Oke Mosan office of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to protest the deplorable situation of the health sector in the state.
The doctors, whose protest under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association was joined by other health professionals, including nurses, expressed their grievances in a four-page letter dated 14th March 14, 2017 submitted to Amosun.
They stressed that it had become imperative for the state government to find solutions to the deplorable state of healthcare service delivery in the state.
The doctors said that they had written four letters to the governor, seeking audience with him to discuss the state of healthcare in the state, but had yet to receive any response from the government.
The protesters comprising doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical personnel, said that they were demonstrating against gross infrastructural decay, ranging from old dilapidated structures, obsolete equipment, inadequate security, poor drugs supply chain, lack of CT scan, among other problems.
They also said that they were agitating for the payment of the corrected consolidated medical salary scale as obtainable in other South West states and Federal health institutions, non-consultation of NMA and other stakeholders over major healthcare development programmes and projects.
The protesting doctors, nurses and other medical personnel carried placards with various inscriptions such as “The good people of Ogun State deserve better, dignifying healthcare,” ” The mission to rebuild, help us to rebuild our health sector in Ogun State,” ” A healthy workforce is a productive work force,” among others.
They explained that they were not happy as healthcare providers over the shortage of man power, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists as well as other health workers , saying, “Our people are collapsing, our people are dying and we are not happy.
“And for our doctors running cost , at night, no light, no security of lives and properties, the issue of adjusted commerce that have actually been staged in all the South West states and also the Federal Government , Ogun State has refused to pay us that in particular.”
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Adeoluwa Taiwo, who spoke on behalf of Amosun, promised to invite the doctors in the next six weeks for dialogue on the deplorable condition of the health sector in the state.
“Yes, you must agitate for what you think, because you are doing this not for yourselves, but for people out there. Yes, let us put some of these things together with this firm assurance that we know that there is still a lot to do in the health sector and with the help of Almighty God, we will not disappoint you. We will invite you and, please, hold us to this promise. We will invite you within the next couple of weeks, maybe, possibly six weeks,” Taiwo said.
The protesting doctors later also moved to the State House of Assembly Complex to make their grievances known to the Speaker of the House, Suraj Adekunbi, but unfortunately the House was not at plenary session.
They, however, delivered a letter to the Clerk of the House, Lanre Bisiriyu, who promised to deliver it to the speaker.
