Trending 
Resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have protested over unpaid wage arrears, staff shortages and poor working conditions.
The doctors, under the Association of Resident Doctors, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, staged the protest on Wednesday, calling for urgent action from the Oyo State Government and the hospital management.
In a statement signed by ARD President Mustapha Adedapo and Public Relations Officer Abdulrahman Fofie, the doctors said inadequate staffing, unpaid minimum wage arrears, unfulfilled allowance commitments and poor accommodation had taken a toll on their welfare and professional dignity.
They said the working conditions had also raised concerns about the quality of care they could provide to patients, stressing that they were seeking basic welfare, fair compensation and adequate funding for medical residency training rather than special privileges.
The doctors appealed to the Oyo State Government, Governor Seyi Makinde, hospital management and other stakeholders to address their demands and improve conditions at the facility.
They said resolving the issues would allow them to focus fully on their primary responsibility of providing medical care to patients.
The statement noted, “We took an oath to save lives, but today, we are forced to take a stand to save our own professions and dignity. For too long, we have operated under crippling conditions. We face severe understaffing, unpaid minimum wage arrears, unfulfilled allowance promises, and dilapidated call rooms. A burnt-out, neglected doctor cannot provide the quality care our patients deserve.
“We are not asking for luxuries; we are demanding basic human dignity, fair compensation, and the proper funding of medical residency training. Our patience has limits, but our unity is unbreakable.”
“We call directly on His Excellency, the Governor, the Oyo State Government, hospital management, and all key stakeholders: hear our voices! Resolve these legitimate demands today. Fix the system so we can return to doing what we love—saving lives. The struggle has begun. The fight continues. United we stand, together we win,” the statement added.
The protest followed earlier concerns raised by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) over a shortage of resident doctors at the hospital.
NARD had said several doctors had left the institution without being replaced, while those who completed their residency training were also not replaced, leaving some departments struggling with inadequate personnel.
The association identified Anaesthesia, Chemical Pathology and Haematology among the specialties affected by the shortage.
NARD had also demanded the payment of outstanding minimum wage, promotion and accoutrement allowance arrears, implementation of the new professional allowance for doctors, release of the Medical Residency Training Fund and rehabilitation of doctors’ call rooms and on-call facilities.
