Doctors under the Kwara State Government have begun a seven-day warning strike over unpaid welfare and health insurance deductions.

The strike involves doctors under the Kwara Doctors Forum.

They comprise the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), KWASUTH.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday in Ilorin, MDCAN Chairman, Adeola Olasinde, said the decision was reached at a congress held on October 14, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government.

Mr Olasinde said the ultimatum, which ran from October 1 to October 14, aimed to address welfare concerns, including the sudden salary deductions for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme (KwaraCare).

He also cited the issue of non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), the official salary scale for medical doctors and dental surgeons in Nigerian government service.

He said the government must reverse the two per cent salary deduction for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme (KHIS) and commence payment of approved 2025 and 2026 accommodation allowance arrears.

“The government must also recruit house officers, medical officers, resident doctors and consultants across healthcare facilities.

“We also demand the renovation of the House Officers’ Quarters in teaching hospitals and the establishment of the Governing Board of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in accordance with its enabling Act,” he added.

The chairman, however, clarified that the forum’s position was not against health insurance or the government’s efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare.

He noted that an insurance scheme financed through salary-based contributions must be built on transparency, accountability, due process, and confidence of contributors.

“The sudden deduction of two per cent of our salaries without prior agreement and satisfactory clarification on the processes and management of the contributed funds leaves us in serious doubt.

“The management of public health insurance funds must be subject to clearly defined institutional controls and collective oversight.

“There should also be transparent financial procedures, independent audit and appropriate legislative and regulatory supervision,” he said.

Mr Olasinde advocated the involvement of relevant stakeholders in policy formulation, governance, monitoring and periodic review of the scheme.

He explained that the objective was to ensure the scheme operates in the best interest of the people and that workers’ contributions translate into accessible and quality healthcare.

He, however, apologised for any inconvenience the action could cause patients and the public.

“The warning strike is not our preferred course of action but it is adopted reluctantly after dialogue fails,” he said.

He called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and relevant authorities to intervene urgently and address the demands.

In his reaction, the Medical Director of KWASUTH, Ahmed Abdul-Qadir, appealed to the striking doctors to return to work to prevent avoidable loss of lives.

Mr Abdul-Qadir said the hospital was operating at full capacity, with critically ill patients in the wards and the intensive care unit, including women who had recently undergone surgery.

He described the situation as unfortunate and urged the medical associations to resolve the dispute quickly in the interest of the patients.

The CMD expressed confidence in the state government’s commitment to workers’ welfare, particularly those in the health sector.

He, therefore, appealed to the doctors to resume duty to ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery.

(NAN)