This appeal was made by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu in a statement monitored on Rave FM and in a press release to the public in Osogbo.
He said the state is not unaware of their demands and it’s doing everything possible to resolve issues surrounding the strike so it won’t be prolonged more than necessary.
The statement read, “The government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola does not like strike. We consider the welfare of our people important and we take it seriously. We will do everything to improve on the welfare of the people. We appeal to our doctors to bear with us, reason with us and be considerate.
“We have laid our cards on the table; there are so many things the doctors are demanding for, two of those things bothered on payment of salaries in 2015 when they were on strike and Revised CONMES.
“We have held meeting with the NMA and other stakeholders. We have engaged them unofficially too. The government had been engaging the doctors since they gave 21 days ultimatum. We have told them what the government is doing and the two parties need to reach agreement.
“Anyway, we will continue to discuss with them. I plead with the doctors to try to understand the position of the government; they should consider the patients in the hospital. We will do everything humanly possible to resolve the issue on time. We will do our best to ensure that the strike is not prolonged. This government is serious about the welfare of the people of the state. We will do everything to reach a compromise with the NMA.
According to him, Osun aside Lagos in the Southwest pays highest to doctors before the financial strength of the state dropped owing to the economic recession in the country.
Recall the state government like it reached agreement with workers in the state Civil Service whereby modulated salaries are being paid to different categories of workers also put up such arrangement with the medical doctors in the state’s employment which they rejected.
“It is on record that doctors in the State of Osun are perhaps the highest paid in the South-West states after Lagos. The government did everything to ensure the standard was maintained for as long as the finances of government were in good shape. This illustrates that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is veryâ€
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