Resident doctors threaten to go on strike over 5-months unpaid salary

Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) resident doctors have threatened to go on strike over a 5-month salary arrears owed them by the state government.

Past and present executive members of the group said their members had stayed without salaries since February.

They added that the state has given no reason for this, even when the Federal Government has resolved the issue of “Keeping and Relativity.”

Governor Rochas Okorocha, however, said his administration has started clearing the arrears since last week, while urging all genuine workers to be patient, he also blamed the delay on lack of funds due to drop in allocation.

But the president of the chapter’s Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Sampson Ajekunle said the association has written about four letters to the state government on the issue without results.

He said the group has resolved to proceed with industrial action on Monday, July 20, if they are not paid within the window.

He expressed concern that government owed other workers only one month but did not consider their case, adding that the problem was affecting them psychologically and could lead to complications, including the death of patients.

“How would a house officer work without salary for five and half months and you are talking about oath? You need to be psychologically and mentally balanced to render service,” he said.

Still stressing the psychological impact of owing doctors salary, Ajekunle said "I don’t see why a doctor should be owed. I don’t know if it is when doctors begin to drop dead on the roads that government will know about their state.”