The Lagos State Government has urged medical doctors under its employment to suspend their planned three-day warning strike, assuring that ongoing negotiations will address their concerns.
In a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the government said all grievances raised by the Medical Guild were being handled with “sincerity and urgency.”
The Medical Guild, the association representing government-employed medical and dental practitioners in Lagos, had declared the warning strike to begin Monday, July 28, over unauthorised salary deductions and unpaid arrears.
The government acknowledged the doctors’ frustrations and confirmed that a conciliation committee, comprising representatives from both the Medical Guild and the state government, had been constituted to resolve the lingering issues. The committee has already held meetings and is reviewing submitted documents in line with existing fiscal regulations.
“As a responsible government, we value the critical role our healthcare professionals play in delivering quality health services to over 20 million Lagos residents,” the statement read. “We urge the Medical Guild to remain on the path of dialogue.”
The government also assured the public that contingency plans have been activated to minimise disruption to healthcare services during the strike period.
Meanwhile, the doctors are demanding a reversal of the July salary deduction and the full payment of the 12-month revised CONMESS arrears owed to honorary consultants at LASUTH
The strike follows what the Guild described as failed efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue, with initial deductions in April reportedly reappearing in July without prior notice.
