Trouble is brewing once again at Osun State health sector as the doctors in the state under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association has given the state government a 21–day notice after which it will embark on strike. The government has, however, appealed to the doctors to avoid going on strike, promising to address the issues raised by the doctors and plead with them to understand the plight of the state government.
‘It is on record that doctors in the State of Osun are perhaps the highest paid in the South-West states after Lagos and did everything to ensure the standard was maintained for as long as the finances of government were in good shape. This illustrates that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is very sensitive to health matters and would always treat the health workers very well, if not specially. Issues bothering on full payment of their salary should not degenerate to the level of downsizing because it has been demonstrated that other workers of the state who were being paid modulated salary would sure get their arrears when the state finances improve. Recently, the state government paid July and August 2015 salary arrears of the workers; so there is nothing to assume or suggest that the government would not pay arrears for the doctors. The government knows that other issues raised by the doctors as their agitations are secondary; their salary is their primary reason for their action. Primary health centres and other hospitals in the state are well equipped’ the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Adelani Baderinwa stated.
