OAUTHC Doctors Threaten Action Over Welfare Crisis

ILE-IFE, Nigeria – Resident doctors at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, have issued a 21-day ultimatum to hospital management, demanding urgent action on welfare concerns or face possible industrial action.

The decision was announced in a communiqué released after an emergency virtual meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), signed by its President, Jesunbo Martins, and General Secretary, Toyyeb Oladipo.

The association accused management of failing to address longstanding welfare issues, including inadequate call-duty meal coverage, worsening manpower shortages and increasing workloads across departments.

Doctors also criticised a directive imposing a ₦2,500 charge for the issuance and renewal of staff identity cards, describing the policy as exploitative and inconsistent with public service standards.

“The charge is unjustified and places an unnecessary burden on healthcare workers already operating under difficult conditions,” the association stated.

The ARD further opposed the compulsory attachment of staff identity cards to official correspondence, arguing that the measure could violate privacy protections guaranteed under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

The association also raised concerns over accommodation shortages within the Ife Hospital Unit, alleging that residential quarters vacated by resident doctors have been abandoned without renovation, reallocation or productive use.

Among its demands are the immediate expansion of call-duty meal allocations, suspension of identity card charges, reversal of the correspondence directive and urgent rehabilitation of doctors’ residential quarters.

The doctors warned that failure to address the issues within 21 days could trigger lawful union actions, including peaceful protests and other industrial measures.

The development raises fresh concerns over healthcare workforce welfare and service delivery at one of Nigeria’s leading teaching hospitals.

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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