The doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure, the state capital on Friday staged a protest against non-payment of their salaries for six months by the state government.

As part of the protest, the doctors, under the auspices of the Residents Doctors of UNIMEDTH said they had commenced indefinite strike until the government found solutions to their demands.

The doctors, who expressed sadness over the development described the government action as wicked and callous, saying they could not pay their bills again while many of them were working in hunger.

During the protest the doctors carried placards with various inscriptions such as’ Doctors are human, Mr Governor, pls do the needful’, ‘ We care for the sick, we deserve to be cared for,’ ‘ We have bills to pay, come to our rescue,’ ‘ We are working on empty stomach,’ ‘ Ondo NMA has been compromised,’ among others.

The leader of the protesters and Chairman Media Committee of the Residents Doctors of UNIMEDTH, Dr Olagbe Taiwo, said the government had not been taken the welfare of the doctors serious, particularly in the area of salary payment.

He also alleged that the government was using divide and rule system for the doctors as he revealed that 33 out of over 150 doctors were paid one month during the Christmas period, saying the government act as repressible and insensitive.

He said:

“As we talk now , many of us cannot afford two square meal, some have withdrawn their wards from schools, some have to trek a long distance to get to work because they could not afford transport fare, their only consolation and solace is the call food, which have become their routine dinner.

“Emissaries and letters were sent to the management to clear out salaries and put necessary machinery in place for better and well-equipped residency training, instead of government emphasises with us and pay promptly, it has resorted to gallivanting and globe throbbing with lies and failed promises.”

Taiwo declared that before the doctors would return to work ,.all the arrears and backlog of their salaries must be cleared, adding that the issue of their welfare should be addressed by the government.

“Our wages and remuneration must be paid directly into our accounts, we don’t want intermediary. Our strike which commenced at 12 midnight ( Friday) is total and indefinite till our agitations are resolved. Also, we are against any form of victimisation during and after the strike, if any of such happens , we will not hesitate to call out members.”

However, in his reaction, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, said the matter would be resolved, saying the Ministry of Finance had already been working on the payment of salaries of the protesting doctors