Address striking doctors’ demands, Kwara PDP urges AbdulRazaq

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Photo: Kwara State Government.

The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State has urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently address the grievances of striking medical doctors, warning that the industrial action could further disrupt healthcare delivery and expose patients to avoidable risks.

The party’s position was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, who faulted the state government for allegedly failing to resolve the doctors’ welfare concerns despite a 14-day ultimatum issued before the commencement of the warning strike.

The doctors, under the Kwara Doctors Forum, began a seven-day warning strike on Thursday over unresolved issues, including deductions from their salaries for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme, popularly known as KwaraCare, unpaid allowances, the non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and inadequate recruitment of medical personnel.

The forum comprises the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners, and the Association of Resident Doctors, KWASUTH.

The doctors’ action followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government on October 1, with the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria Chairman, Adeola Olasinde, confirming that the strike was approved at the association’s congress on October 14.

The doctors are demanding the reversal of a two per cent salary deduction for KwaraCare, implementation of CONMESS, payment of outstanding accoutrement allowance arrears for 2025 and 2026, and the recruitment of house officers, medical officers, resident doctors and consultants across government-owned health facilities.

Reacting to the development, the PDP said the doctors’ grievances were genuine and required immediate attention rather than what it described as the government’s silence.

“We’ve studied the doctors’ grievances, and we believe they are genuine and deserve urgent attention and not cold silence that the government is giving them,” the statement read.

The party criticised the government for allegedly failing to take advantage of the 14-day ultimatum to engage the doctors and prevent the disruption of medical services across the state.

“The government had 14 days to address these concerns before the warning strike commenced. A responsible administration should have used that window to engage the doctors, resolve the outstanding issues and prevent any disruption to healthcare services,” the statement said.

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The PDP also expressed concern over what it described as poor remuneration, inadequate medical infrastructure and increasing workloads confronting doctors, warning that the conditions could make it more difficult for the state to retain experienced medical personnel and attract new ones.

The party claimed that Kwara had about 362 medical doctors serving a population of approximately 4.2 million, compared with an estimated 1,500 doctors in neighbouring Osun State, which it said had a smaller population.

It argued that the reported disparity highlighted the need for the state government to strengthen its medical workforce through recruitment, improved remuneration and better working conditions.

The statement recalled that Kwara was once regarded as a destination for medical services by patients from neighbouring states but warned that the continued departure of medical personnel, alongside inadequate investment in healthcare facilities, could weaken the state’s healthcare system.

The party further warned that a prolonged strike could worsen access to essential medical services, particularly for patients requiring emergency treatment and specialist care.

The PDP also questioned the reported movement of ₦200m in cash by the governor for political purposes, arguing that resources allegedly deployed for political mobilisation would be better channelled towards addressing pressing public needs.

According to the party, such resources could be used to improve healthcare infrastructure, provide medical equipment, recruit more health workers and address outstanding welfare concerns.

The PDP sympathised with doctors and other health workers across the state, noting that they continued to shoulder significant responsibilities under challenging conditions.

It urged AbdulRazaq’s administration to take swift and practical measures to resolve the dispute, address the doctors’ outstanding demands and ensure their return to work to prevent further disruption to healthcare services in the state.