Ondo State Government has appealed to the striking doctors in the state's owned hospitals to reverse the warning strike embarked on due to salaries arrears so as not to waste innocent lives.
Addressing journalists in his office, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju described the strike as unnecessary as workers in the state have started receiving December salary alerts as promised by the state Governor during his meeting with the labour unions.
He appealed to them not to proceed on the 21 days strike and give the government a benefit of doubt to pay two months arrears which it promised at the end of this month after receiving the expected fund.
Adeyanju who noted that the economic challenge in the state is due to the dwindling federal allocation. He charged them not to continue with the Industrial action that will lead to the untimely death of innocent people.
"This is a development that came as a surprise to us because prior to the commencement of the warning strike, the state government, even the Governor had a meeting with the labour unions which included NMA to let them know the situation on ground.
The Governor did promise at that meeting that one month salary will be paid starting from day before yesterday (Wednesday) which payment has since started and will subsequently work out how to pay the other arrears.
"It was unfortunate that the doctors yesterday morning, (Thursday) started the warning strike to protest the arrears and as government we are making frantic effort to ensure that innocent people are not affected by ensuring that emergency work and skeletal work are being attended to in our hospitals.
"The nurses are on ground and the management will make sure that work still continue".
"We are appealing to them to reverse it to make the public have access to qualitative healthcare, they've been patient and persevering for five months, so there is nothing any warning thing will change. Let's give the Governor the benefit of doubt and be expecting that things will continue to go better," he appealed.
Adeyanju however hinted that the state primary Healthcare facilities are functioning and enjoined the public to visit nearby health centres in case of any heath challenge if the Doctors in the secondary health facilities refused to yield to government's appeal.
He solicited all for continuous prayers for the government for better time to come for the nation, saying nobody is immuned to the economic challenge the nation is experiencing but has affected everybody and sector.
