By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

The Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed its full support for the ongoing indefinite strike declared by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), urging the Federal Government to urgently meet the union’s demands and settle all outstanding allowances owed to medical professionals.

Speaking at a press conference held at the NMA Secretariat in Abeokuta, the State Chairman, Dr. Luqman Ogunjimi, lamented that out of the 19 key demands presented by resident doctors, only one had so far been addressed by the government.

Dr. Ogunjimi called on the authorities to halt what he described as the “unjust dismissal” of physicians in public hospitals and to immediately pay all pending arrears, including promotion and accouterment allowances. He warned that the health sector was on the verge of collapse due to poor welfare, inadequate infrastructure, and the continuous migration of medical professionals abroad.

“No hospital is exempted from the strike that began on Saturday. All resident doctors under NARD are participating, and the action is indefinite. These demands must be treated as a national emergency. The rising rate of brain drain, infrastructural decay, and poor welfare are pushing our health system to the brink,” he said.

The NMA chairman urged Nigerians to exercise patience and understanding, describing the strike as a necessary step to compel the government to honor its agreements and safeguard the future of the nation’s health system.

Among those present at the press briefing were Dr. Abdulghaffar Kolade of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro; Dr. Adebayo Omogbolahan of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta; and Dr. Monehin Olusola Olabimpe of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.