A storm is brewing in the medical sector as doctors in Ekiti and Ondo states brace for a decisive showdown with the Federal Government over what they describe as a “lopsided and inequitable” pay review recently implemented nationwide. The development has sparked fresh concerns over the stability of healthcare delivery in the region, already strained by years of underfunding and medical brain drain.
The trigger came last month, when the Federal Government announced a revised pay structure for public sector doctors, claiming it was designed to improve welfare and stem the tide of emigration among health professionals. However, the announcement quickly became controversial when doctors in states like Ekiti and Ondo realized that the review appeared skewed in favor of select institutions and federal medical centers, leaving state-employed doctors behind.
In an unprecedented display of solidarity, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) chapters in both Ekiti and Ondo have issued a joint communique condemning the disparity and vowing to take coordinated action if their grievances are not addressed.
Dr. Akinwale Owolabi, Chairman of the NMA in Ekiti State, told journalists in Ado-Ekiti:
“We are not second-class professionals. The same work, same risks, and same sacrifices deserve the same reward. This disparity is unjustifiable and demoralizing.”
Echoing the sentiment, Dr. Yetunde Ojo, NMA Chairperson in Ondo State, warned that the current structure could trigger an exodus of doctors from state hospitals to federal institutions or even abroad.
“We are already stretched thin. If something isn’t done soon, Ondo might wake up to a healthcare system without doctors.”
Sources from Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) in Ondo reveal growing unrest among medical staff. Several departments are reportedly running on skeletal manpower as doctors weigh their options, with some already submitting notices of resignation.
Patients have started feeling the impact. At the General Hospital in Ikere-Ekiti, a nurse who asked not to be named said:
“Doctors are coming in late or not at all. We are doing our best, but we can’t handle the load alone.”
A spokesperson from the Federal Ministry of Health acknowledged the concerns but urged restraint, stating that the pay review was a “phased initiative” and that discussions with state governments were ongoing to harmonize the disparities.
But state doctors aren’t buying it.
“They always ask for patience, but we’ve been patient for over a decade,” Dr. Ojo responded.
“Healthcare workers are dying in silence, and our silence will soon turn into action.”
The two NMA chapters have given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to initiate talks aimed at addressing the pay imbalance. If unmet, they say an indefinite strike is on the table.
Health watchers say such action would paralyze medical services across both states, as most rural communities rely on government hospitals for healthcare.
Civil society groups have urged swift intervention, warning that the fallout of a prolonged strike could be catastrophic, especially in underserved areas where preventable diseases and maternal mortality remain high.
The Ekiti-Ondo standoff over the FG pay review has laid bare deeper systemic challenges in Nigeria’s health system—questions of equity, federal-state coordination, and the political will to prioritize human capital. For now, the clock is ticking, and all eyes are on Abuja.
Will the government act in time to prevent another collapse in the healthcare sector? Or will the stethoscopes fall silent once more?
