MEDICAL doctors employed by the Ondo State Government, under the National Association of Government General and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), have declared a three-day warning strike beginning Monday, July 14, 2025.
The strike action, according to a statement jointly signed by the association’s state chairman, Dr. Richard Obe, and secretary, Dr. Adekunle Owolabi, is in protest of what they described as persistent neglect of the state’s health sector and poor treatment of healthcare professionals by the government.
The doctors cited several unresolved issues, including:
1. Acute shortage of medical personnel, with some hospitals serving entire local governments staffed by a single doctor
2. A sudden hike in taxation since April 2025, introduced without prior consultation
3. Non-payment of salaries and allowances to eight doctors hired since October 2024
4. Unpaid hazard allowances for the period of October to December 2023 and January 2024
5. Promotion arrears owed from June to December 2024
6. Salary shortfalls and outstanding allowances affecting several other members
The NAGGMDP called for urgent intervention, listing their core demands as:
1. Immediate recruitment of additional doctors to alleviate the personnel shortage
2. Full settlement of salary arrears and statutory allowances
3. Reversal of the new tax regime
4. Prompt payment of hazard allowances and promotion-related arrears
The association warned that failure by the government to meet these demands within the period of the warning strike would result in a full-scale, indefinite industrial action—posing serious risks to the state’s healthcare delivery.
While reaffirming their commitment to patient care, the doctors emphasized that they could no longer function under such “inhumane and unsustainable” working conditions.
It was also noted that the group had issued a 14-working-day ultimatum to the government, which lapsed on July 1, 2025, without resolution.