Kwara Doctors Begin 7-Day Warning Strike Over Welfare, Salary Deductions

Medical doctors employed by the Kwara State Government on Thursday began a seven-day warning strike over unresolved welfare concerns, including deductions from their salaries for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme (KHIS).

The chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr Adeola Olasinde, said the decision was reached at the association’s congress on October 14, 2026, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government.

Olasinde said the ultimatum, which ran from October 1 to October 14, was intended to compel the government to address the doctors’ welfare concerns, including the alleged salary deductions for the KHIS.

He also cited the non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), the official salary scale for medical doctors and dental surgeons in the Nigerian public service.

The doctors demanded the reversal of the two per cent salary deduction for the KHIS and the payment of approved arrears of accoutrement allowances for 2025 and 2026.

They also called for the recruitment of house officers, medical officers, resident doctors and consultants across healthcare facilities in the state.

Other demands include the renovation of house officers’ quarters in teaching hospitals and the establishment of the Governing Board of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in accordance with its enabling Act.

Olasinde clarified that the doctors’ position was not against health insurance or the government’s efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare.

He urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and relevant authorities to intervene urgently and address the demands.

Reacting to the strike, the medical director of KWASUTH, Dr Ahmed Abdul-Qadir, appealed to the doctors to return to work to prevent avoidable loss of lives.

Abdul-Qadir said the hospital was operating at full capacity, with critically ill patients in its wards and Intensive Care Unit, including women who had recently undergone surgery.

He described the situation as unfortunate and urged the medical associations to resolve the dispute quickly in the interest of patients.