Doctors in Ondo State, organized under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government, expressing their discontent with the dire state of their welfare packages and the shortage of medical personnel.

During the NMA’s Ordinary General Meeting, doctors highlighted the mass exodus of medical practitioners to other regions due to more favorable working conditions. The association emphasized that the state’s doctors have been enduring inadequate welfare packages, with only 22 resident doctors available at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTHC).

The doctors are particularly aggrieved by the failure to implement approved hazard allowance and the significant salary disparities compared to neighboring states. Dr. Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe, the Chairman of NMA in Ondo State, revealed that the doctors are reluctant to work for the state due to the utilization of Grade Level 12, Step 3, resulting in a recent recruitment exercise failing to attract medical professionals.

Dr. Adeyemi-Osowe disclosed the extent of the emigration of doctors, both to neighboring states such as Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Kwara, and Delta, as well as to African countries (Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, etc.) and beyond (the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Germany). He also highlighted the drastic reduction in the number of resident doctors at UNIMEDTHC, plummeting from 150 to a mere 22.

The ongoing dissatisfaction among the medical community in Ondo State signals a potential crisis in the healthcare system, as the exodus of doctors could severely impact the delivery of essential medical services. As the ultimatum looms, the state government is under pressure to address these grievances and avert a potential strike that could further strain an already overwhelmed healthcare system.