Doctors under the aegis of Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers have announced the suspension of their over six months strike.
The Chairman of OSAMDO, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle, confirmed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday.
Adekunle said members of the association decided to suspend their strike which started on September 27, 2015, following appeals by the state House of Assembly; elders in the medical profession and the masses, who were badly affected by the industrial action.
He stated that the state government had yet to accede to any of the demands of the doctors but said it was agreed that negotiation would continue following the suspension of the strike.
Adekunle added that the association decided to suspend the strike despite that the state government had not agreed that the balance of half salaries would be paid when the economy of the state improved.
He said, “We decided to suspend the strike in order to alleviate the suffering of the people and to avoid unnecessary deaths.
“There were appeals by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, our medical elders and other quarters. We will resume work by 8am tomorrow (Monday).”
Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Dr. Adeyinka Owolabi, told our correspondent in a separate interview that the residents doctors had not suspended their strike.
He said, “OSAMDO has suspended its strike but we, resident doctors, are still on strike. The MDCAN at LAUTECH is also on strike. One affiliate association of the NMA suspended their strike while two of us are continuing.
“The national body of the ARD will give 21 days ultimatum on our strike tomorrow; if nothing happens after that, all resident doctors in the country may join the strike.”
The doctors went on strike because they rejected half salaries and accused the state government of refusal to remit union, cooperative and pension deductions to pension administrators and other relevant bodies.
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