Lagos Doctors Begins Strike On Monday Over COVID-19 Hazard Allowance

Medical Doctors under the employment of the Lagos State Government have declared a three-day warning strike starting Monday, over the issues of COVID-19 hazard allowance.

The Chairman of the Medical Guild in Lagos, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, who disclosed this on Sunday, said the doctors were embarking on the strike after the ultimatum given to the Lagos Government had expired.

Sodipo said that the strike, which would run from Monday, July 13 to 16, would exempt members working in the state’s COVID-19 isolation centres.

“Following the emergency congress of the Medical Guild held on June 27, we resolved that the previous 21 days ultimatum given to the state government be extended by a further two weeks during which representative council meeting should be held to review the resolutions of the congress and activate the three-day warning strike if 70 per cent of the Guild’s demands are not met.”

Sodipo said some of the unresolved demands included the wage disparity between the federal and the Lagos State doctors.

“The issues of COVID-19 hazard allowance and inducement allowances MOU approved by the federal government to her doctors have not been approved by the Lagos State Government to her doctors.

“The doctors working in the COVID-19 isolation centres are still being owed two months’ salaries which have remained unpaid at the moment. They are also being unceremoniously disengaged without recourse to their welfare,” he said.

The chairman stressed that the issues of doctors getting infected and re-infected on daily basis was not getting the required attention from the government.

“Our members are putting themselves on the line daily to provide care, and we need to do everything to protect our colleagues,” Sodipo said.

He maintained that adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), prompt testing of health workers and insurance should be provided.

Sodipo added that issues of shortage of doctors in health facilities have yet to be resolved with no visible substantive action taken by the government to resolve it.

“The congress will reconvene after the three days warning strike to review the progress made and plan for further actions. We call on the Lagos State Government to do all within its power to resolve the impasse,” he said.

This is coming barely one week after Cross River doctors embarked on an indefinite strike and withdrew its services from all medical facilities in the state.