Doctors in Lagos State declared on Tuesday that healthcare delivery in the state would improve since government acceded to their demands.
Operating under the platform of Medical Guild, the doctors lauded some critical steps taken by the state government.
Chairman of the Guild, Oluwajimi Sodipo, said they in support of the continued engagements by the government. He added that doctors in the Guild were willing to provide options that would enhance healthcare service delivery.
“Part of our mantra is continuous engagement contrary to the image created for us in the past as people who just want to go on strike. We are always ready to provide solutions in terms of options.
“Once that is in place, everyone benefits because we have a good working environment; workforce with good morale and the ultimate beneficiaries are the good people of Lagos State.
“The people will now enjoy good healthcare services that they deserve,’’ he said.
Sodipo said that the guild would work with relevant ministries to ensure speedy implementation of the approval given by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Read also: Lagos releases resumption guideline for 2021/2022 academic session
He added that the implementation would bolster the confidence of everyone involved in the process.
The Guild, it would be recalled, on August 1, appealed to the state government to rescind its decision to remove resident and NYSC doctors from the state’s scheme of service.
It also appealed that the challenge of unresolved salary disparity between doctors working for the state government and their federal counterparts be urgently resolved.
Following an impasse on the issues, there had been fears that doctors might down tools following a congress of the Guild on August 29. The congress, however, decided to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the government to accede to the doctors’ demands.
A speedy intervention by Governor Sanwo-Olu who held a meeting with leaders of the Guild and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Association of Residents Doctors (LASUTH-ARD) on September 6 averted a possible strike.
LASUTH-ARD had on September 3, said that its members might not resume work even if the on-going nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria ended.
Azeez Ojekunle, President, LASUTH-ARD said that the strike might linger if the state government did not expedite action to meet its demands.
He said, however, said that the association was willing to resume negotiations to ensure resolution of the industrial disharmony.
A statement issued on Monday by Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for information and strategy, said Sanwo-Olu had concurred to the demands of the doctors.
