The protestors were initially employed by the Ondo State Hospital Management Board (HMB) but were transferred to the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital in 2019 following the merger of the two institutions.
Medical workers in Ondo State on Friday morning protested over the non-payment of ‘university teaching hospital’ salaries and other entitlements by the state government since 2019.
The protestors were initially employed by the Ondo State Hospital Management Board (HMB) but were transferred to the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital in 2019 following the merger of the two institutions.
They accused the government of cheating them by paying them less than their colleagues employed by the University Teaching Hospital despite working in the same institution for the past five years.
The protesters displayed several placards with inscriptions to demand an immediate solution to their plight by the state government, saying that earning below what their co-workers earn is demoralising.
Some of the placards read: “We are bleeding,’ ‘Working without normal remuneration for five years,’ ‘We are in severe pain,’ ‘Give us our teaching hospital salary,’ ‘All we are saying is give us UTH salary,’ and ‘Remunerate us equally.’
One of them who spoke to SaharaReporters said: “The bone of contention is that after the harmonisation of HMB and teaching hospital in 2019, the following category of staff: Nurses, Pharmacists, Medical Social Workers, Radiologists, Dietitians, Clinical Psychologists, Drivers, Tailors, etc. who transferred their services from HMB to teaching hospital have not gotten anything in benefit from the teaching hospital despite all appointments being confirmed since 2023.
“Whereas, consultants and administrative officers who also transferred their services from HMB to teaching hospital have been getting their entitlements for over four years.
“The worst part of it is that newly employed staff members of the teaching hospital are also enjoying the benefits which made all of them earn more than their counterparts from those who transferred their services on the same level.”
In January 2024, following his inauguration as Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa promised to address some of the issues in the health sector of the state.
He also promised to recruit more health workers in the new year.
Aiyedatiwa, who promised to prioritise the welfare of workers, also promised to pay all outstanding entitlements of civil servants in the state.
“We will forge ahead with the approval already given for the recruitment of health workers as a way of strengthening the health sector while filling of vacancies will be done on a regular basis as the need arises,” he said.
The governor promised prompt payment of salaries, promotion, regular elevation, payment of salary arrears, training and retraining and the provision of working tools among others.
According to him, this will engender an efficient 21st-century civil service.
