The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ondo State has issued a strike warning over the worsening healthcare crisis caused by a severe shortage of medical personnel. Chairman Olumuyiwa Alonge, in a statement released in Akure on April 15, attributed the strain to the mass exodus of doctors, a phenomenon widely known as "Japa Syndrome." He stated that remaining doctors are now overburdened, with some handling workloads equivalent to five colleagues, leaving no time for family or professional development. In several general hospitals, a single doctor is reportedly responsible for the entire facility's medical care. The NMA highlighted deplorable working conditions, including the use of obsolete or non-existent medical equipment, forcing practitioners to improvise during treatment. Doctors are working long hours without rest, often in dilapidated environments, while earning salaries based on an outdated structure that does not reflect current economic conditions. The association listed demands, including consequential salary adjustments with arrears, payment of accoutrement allowance, settlement of 2024 promotional allowances, and urgent recruitment of medical staff. A deadline of April 28, 2026, has been set for the state government to respond, after which an emergency congress may be convened, potentially leading to a withdrawal of services.
Olumuyiwa Alonge and his colleagues in Ondo State's medical association are expected to work indefinitely under conditions they describe as unsustainable, while being asked to wait until April 2026 for action on their demands. That timeline gives the state government more than two years to respond to a crisis where doctors are already working without rest, using outdated or missing equipment. If a single doctor is currently managing an entire general hospital, the delay in addressing staffing and pay could mean prolonged substandard care for patients across the state. The extended deadline suggests the doctors have little confidence immediate relief is possible.
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