The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, has threatened to embark on a solidarity strike over unresolved salary deductions and unpaid wages, warning that action could commence if the government fails to meet its demands.
The decision followed an Emergency General Meeting where members reviewed the Medical Guild’s 21-day ultimatum to the state government, which expires on August 25.
The doctors are demanding a refund of July deductions and the full payment of August salaries.
In a communiqué signed by its chairman, Dr. Saheed Kehinde, the NMA said it would join the Guild’s strike two weeks after it begins if the state government fails to act.
The salary dispute dates back to April 23, 2025, when deductions were first introduced by the Lagos State Government but later reversed after protests.
However, the deductions resurfaced on July 23, leading to a three-day warning strike by the Medical Guild from July 28 to 30. To date, the withheld salaries have not been refunded.
Beyond the salary row, the doctors also raised long-standing welfare concerns.
The association condemned the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for failing to provide call duty meals for more than five years.
It rejected a proposal by LUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, to replace free meals with a paid canteen system, insisting that doctors on duty must be catered for at no cost.
The communiqué further criticised the non-payment of “skipping arrears,” noting that while other federal health institutions had settled the entitlements, LUTH doctors were left out. The NMA vowed to continue pressing until the arrears are paid.
Calling for urgent intervention, the association urged the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, to liaise with relevant ministries to ensure the immediate refund of July deductions, timely payment of August salaries, and a permanent end to what it described as “obnoxious and crisis-prone” policies.