Resident Doctors Strike Paralyzes LAUTECH Hospital as NARD Backs Protest Over Poor Welfare, Working Conditions
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared full support for the ongoing strike action by resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
The strike, which commenced on July 29, 2025, followed the expiration of a three-week ultimatum issued to the Oyo State Government and the hospital’s management.
The doctors are protesting what they describe as persistent neglect of their welfare and working environment. While authorities have made limited efforts to clear some financial backlogs, several core demands remain unresolved.
These include the full implementation and payment of the new minimum wage with arrears dating back to January 2025, immediate release of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), payment of accoutrement allowances, urgent recruitment of more resident doctors to address severe staff shortages, and renovation of the hospital’s deteriorating call rooms and doctors’ quarters.
In a strike notice jointly signed by Dr. Stephen Adedokun, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at LAUTECH, and General Secretary Dr. Adedapo Mustapha, the doctors vowed not to resume work until “tangible and acceptable actions” are taken by the government and hospital authorities.
They also raised serious concerns over the alarming reduction in workforce, revealing that the number of resident doctors has fallen from nearly 270 to fewer than 65.
This, they warned, has placed enormous pressure on the remaining staff and threatens to collapse healthcare services at the facility.
The statement noted that the few remaining doctors are being pushed beyond their physical and mental limits, with patient care hanging by a thread.
NARD, the national body representing resident doctors across the country, condemned what it called chronic and systemic neglect, warning that continued government inaction could worsen the healthcare crisis in the region.
So far, the Oyo State Government has not issued any official response regarding the strike. Medical services at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital remain severely disrupted, with both emergency and routine procedures suspended indefinitely.
