The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has criticised the state governor, Seyi Makinde, over the prolonged strike by resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, saying the dispute is having serious implications for healthcare delivery in the state.
Alli, through his campaign organisation, Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), said the over 30-day industrial action exposed unresolved concerns over the welfare and working conditions of medical personnel in Oyo State.
In a statement issued on Sunday by SSACO Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, Alli expressed concern that resident doctors had been compelled to remain on strike over issues including payment of allowances, Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and salary arrears.
He also raised concern over the 21-day warning strike issued by the Association of Medical and Dental Officers of Oyo State (AMDO) over unresolved welfare, remuneration and conditions-of-service issues.
Alli said the simultaneous disputes involving medical workers could further disrupt healthcare services and impose additional hardship on residents who rely on government hospitals for affordable and specialised medical care.
He said the prolonged LAUTECH doctors’ strike had already affected services at the teaching hospital, forcing some patients to seek treatment at private hospitals or endure prolonged delays in accessing medical attention.
According to him, the Oyo State Government should treat the concerns of medical personnel as an urgent matter and engage directly with the affected workers to find a lasting resolution.
“Alli is concerned about Governor Seyi Makinde’s failure to sit with the striking resident doctors and find a lasting solution to their demands,” the statement said.
The senator maintained that healthcare delivery should receive priority attention from any government because disruptions in the sector directly affect the lives and well-being of residents.
“With this prolonged strike, our resident doctors are feeling maltreated while the masses suffer. The medical and dental officers across state hospitals have also served notice of a warning strike. This combination is a signal of government failure in the health sector. It is unacceptable in our dear state,” he said.
Alli further said healthcare would occupy a priority position in his proposed Oyo AHEAD agenda, promising improved welfare and professional development for health workers.
“Health workers and other civil servants will not be denied their entitlements. They will enjoy training and retraining, and they will have facilities to work with,” he said.
He urged the Makinde administration to resolve the outstanding issues with medical workers to prevent further disruption to healthcare services and reduce the burden on patients dependent on public hospitals.
The criticism is part of Alli’s broader political argument on the management of healthcare and public-sector welfare in Oyo State, with the senator positioning his Oyo AHEAD agenda as an alternative policy approach.
