Lawmakers plead with doctors over strike

The Osun House of Assembly, has appealed to the striking medical and dental workers in the state hospitals to suspend their action.

Mr Najeem Salaam, the Speaker of the assembly, made the appeal when the lawmakers met with the executive council members of the medical union, on Tuesday in Osogbo.

The Speaker said that the assembly would also meet with the executive arm of government on the matter.

Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Dr Isiaka Adekunle, the Chairman of the medical doctors' body, described the discussion between the union and the assembly as fruitful.

Adekunle, who commended the assembly for its intervention, said that the union's executive would call an emergency meeting to decide on the next line of action.

He said that the executive council lacked the power to unilaterally call off the strike, but promised that all efforts would be made to convince the union members to suspend the action.

Also speaking, Mr Bosun Oyintiloye, Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, said that the union and the assembly had reached some understanding on the way forward and the need to suspend the strike action in the interest of the generality of the people.

He said that the assembly would "do everything'' within its capacity to ensure that the needs of the medical practitioners were met.

Oyintiloye appealed to the doctors to return to work and support the government's quest toward effective provision of qualitative health care to the people.