Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have raised an urgent alarm over a worsening manpower shortage that has left critical specialties without any resident doctors, putting specialist training and patient care at serious risk. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) expressed solidarity with the hospital's Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and called on the Oyo State Government to urgently address the welfare and working-condition challenges driving doctors away.
In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Friday, August 28, 2026, NARD said several resident doctors had left the institution in recent months without replacement, and doctors who had completed their residency training had also not been replaced. The association said the situation had become particularly concerning in critical specialties, including Anaesthesia, Chemical Pathology and Haematology, which it said were reportedly without resident doctors. The manpower shortage, NARD warned, was having serious implications for specialist training, service delivery and patient care.
The doctors also expressed concern over outstanding financial and welfare entitlements. According to the association, their demands include the payment of outstanding minimum wage arrears, promotion and accoutrement allowance arrears, implementation of the approved new professional allowance for doctors, and release of the Medical Residency Training Fund. NARD also demanded the renovation and improvement of call rooms and on-call facilities, as well as the immediate implementation and enforcement of appropriate work-hour regulations to curb excessive duty schedules and burnout.
The association recalled that ARD LAUTECH had suspended its earlier industrial action on June 27, 2026, following an eight-week grace period granted to allow the authorities to resolve the issues raised by the doctors. NARD commended the leadership and members of ARD LAUTECH for their patience and restraint, noting that they had continued to provide essential healthcare services to people in Ogbomoso, Oyo, Iseyin and surrounding communities. However, the association warned that the doctors' continued patience should not be interpreted as acceptance of the situation. "Patience must not be mistaken for acceptance of prolonged neglect," NARD said.
In a separate statement signed by ARD LAUTECH President, Dr Adedapo Mustapha, and General Secretary, Dr John Stephen, the doctors threatened to resume their suspended industrial action on August 28 if their demands were not met. They said the suspension was made in good faith to preserve industrial harmony and prevent disruption of healthcare services in the state. However, several key demands remained unresolved as the deadline approached. "The Hospital is experiencing gross manpower shortages, while the inability to attract and retain resident doctors is further worsened by the prevailing welfare conditions," the association said. The doctors said the shortage had resulted in prolonged and frequent call duties, raising concerns about the quality and safety of patient care. "This is not merely a matter of doctors' personal comfort. The welfare of healthcare workers is intrinsically linked to patient safety, quality of care and the sustainability of healthcare services," they said.
The association described the welfare conditions at the teaching hospital as increasingly unbearable and insisted that its demands were reasonable. "These demands are neither outrageous nor unreasonable. Several of these welfare packages have already been implemented in other healthcare institutions for years," the statement read. It added that prolonged and frequent call duties had become routine because of the shortage of personnel. The doctors warned that the manpower crisis could ultimately affect patient care and safety. "We particularly appeal to the governor to safeguard the future of LTH Ogbomoso and salvage the increasingly critical situation within the institution by ensuring the prompt resolution of these outstanding welfare concerns," the statement said.
The doctors reiterated that they had no desire to disrupt healthcare services or inconvenience residents of the state, maintaining that dialogue remained their preferred option. However, the association stressed that its patience was wearing thin, noting that it had already demonstrated restraint by suspending its earlier strike and allowing sufficient time for the issues to be resolved. "We, therefore, wish to state clearly that if these outstanding demands remain unresolved, the association shall resume its suspended industrial action effective August 28, 2026," the doctors warned. They urged the hospital management and the Oyo State Government to take immediate action before the deadline to prevent another disruption of medical services at the hospital.
NARD has also warned that failure to address the manpower and welfare concerns could further undermine specialist training and healthcare delivery at the teaching hospital. The association described the outstanding demands as "legitimate welfare and workplace concerns," stressing that their resolution was important to both doctors and patients. The doctors have given the authorities until August 28, 2026, to act. As the deadline looms, patients and residents of Ogbomoso and surrounding communities wait anxiously, hoping that the government will act before another strike cripples the hospital's already fragile healthcare services.
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