Resident doctors raise the alarm over manpower shortage at LAUTECH

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have raised the alarm over worsening manpower shortages athe Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, warning of serious implications for specialist training, healthcare delivery and patient care

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors expressed solidarity with the Association of Resident Doctors, LAUTECH, and called on the Oyo State Government to urgently address the manpower, welfare and working-condition challenges confronting doctors at the hospital.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Friday, NARD said several resident doctors had reportedly left the institution in recent months without replacement, while doctors who had completed their residency training had also not been replaced.

The association said the situation had become particularly concerning in critical specialties, including Anaesthesia, Chemical Pathology and Haematology, which it said were reportedly without resident doctors.

NARD said the manpower shortage was having implications for specialist training, service delivery, and patient care.

It also expressed concern over the outstanding financial and welfare entitlements of its members.

According to the association, the demands include the payment of outstanding minimum wage arrears, promotion and accoutrement allowance arrears, implementation of the approved new professional allowance for doctors, and release of the Medical Residency Training Fund.

NARD also demanded the renovation and improvement of call rooms and on-call facilities, as well as the immediate implementation and enforcement of appropriate work-hour regulations to curb excessive duty schedules and burnout.

The association recalled that ARD LAUTECH suspended its earlier industrial action on June 27, 2026, following an eight-week grace period granted to allow the authorities to resolve the issues raised by the doctors.

NARD commended the leadership and members of ARD LAUTECH for their patience and restraint, noting that they had continued to provide essential healthcare services to people in Ogbomoso, Oyo, Iseyin and surrounding communities.

However, the association warned that the doctors’ continued patience should not be interpreted as acceptance of the situation.

“Patience must not be mistaken for acceptance of prolonged neglect,” NARD said.

The association described the outstanding demands as “legitimate welfare and workplace concerns,” stressing that their resolution was important to both doctors and patients.

“These demands are legitimate welfare and workplace concerns, and their timely resolution is essential not only for the well-being of doctors but also for the sustainability and quality of healthcare delivery,” it said.

NARD urged the Oyo State Government to urgently engage with the resident doctors and resolve the outstanding issues before the expiration of the ultimatum on August 28, 2026.

The association warned that failure to address the manpower and welfare concerns could further undermine specialist training and healthcare delivery at the teaching hospital.