By Ademola Adedoyin Joy (SIWES student, D S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic)
Hospital workers at OAUTH in Osun State have been protesting their unpaid salaries for a distressing period of over 10 months, which has pushed many to the brink of desperation.
One such employee, Ben, shared his story of financial hardship due to not receiving his salary since December 2022, and his hopes of recovering his savings through eventual payments have been shattered. This dire situation is affecting all the dedicated medical professionals involved.
The plight of these healthcare workers in Nigeria is disheartening, with unjust policies and salary delays compelling talented individuals to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Working tirelessly for over 10 months without compensation has led to misery, debt, and even depression among the staff, raising concerns about their ability to provide quality care to patients.
Despite their persistent efforts, the employees have received no response to their appeals for assistance.
They are urgently calling upon relevant authorities to step in and address their predicament. Past strikes in support of these workers have yielded no positive results, often resulting in coercion or threats from the Ministry of Health to force them back to work.
It has been two months since the Ministry of Health conducted verification, yet there has been no follow-up or communication. Despite their suffering, these employees continue to persevere, pleading with compassionate Nigerians and authorities to rescue them from this dire situation at OAUTH.
Upon contacting the Chief Medical Director of OAUTH, John Okeniyi, he refrained from offering an official comment and directed us to a tweet by the Minister for Health, Muhammed Ali Pate.
He mentioned that the Hon. Minister of Health is already involved and provided a link to his Twitter response.
In an earlier tweet on October 13, the Minister acknowledged the OAUTH situation, confirmed the completion of the investigation, and promised to work towards a fair resolution.
