Doctors under the National Association of Government General and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) in Ondo State have begun a three-day warning strike, disrupting services in government-owned hospitals across the state.

The industrial action, which started on Monday, is in protest against what they termed the “gross neglect of the health sector and welfare of medical practitioners” by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration.

In a joint statement issued in Akure, State Chairman Dr. Richard Obe and Secretary Dr. Adekunle Owolabi decried the severe shortage of medical personnel, noting that some government hospitals operate with only one doctor per local government area.

They also criticised the state government for allegedly increasing taxes since April 2025 without consultation and for failing to pay salaries and allowances to eight doctors recruited in October 2024.

They stressed that working under such difficult conditions without their rightful entitlements was no longer sustainable, warning that failure to address their demands could lead to further industrial action.

“Others include: unpaid hazard allowances for October to December 2023 and January 2024, outstanding promotion arrears from June to December 2024, and salary shortfalls and unpaid allowances for other members

While threatening that the strike would lead to total industrial action in all the government hospitals, the medical doctors demanded immediate action from the Governor Aiyedatiwa-led government to avoid the total shutdown of the state’s health sector.

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According to them, parts of their demand include the immediate recruitment of more medical doctors across the 18 LGAs of the state and full payment of outstanding salaries, arrears, and statutory allowances.

“The reversal of the new tax regime, payment of outstanding salaries and allowances for newly employed officers and payment of owed hazard allowances and settlement of promotion arrears for eligible members,” they added in the statement.

The striking doctors, however, warned that failure to address these pressing issues and demands during the warning strike would result in further widespread consequences for the state’s fragile health system.

The NAGGMDP had earlier issued a 14-working-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to address the challenges in the state health sector, but noted that it was ignored by the state government.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, said the state government was already addressing the challenges raised by the medical doctors.

“We have started paying the arrears because the governor has given an instruction that the funds be paid, and we are going to address their challenges.

“On the issue of shortage. The state government is employing medical doctors, and if they have people that they want us to employ, they should come forward with it.

“Don’t forget that we put up an advert and we employed the ones who applied. The government can’t manufacture doctors, but we are ready to employ them,” he said.