The Association of Resident Doctors, Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (ARD-KWASUTH), has criticised the Kwara State Government for what it described as persistent neglect of health workers' welfare and the worsening manpower crisis in the state's health sector, insisting its ongoing industrial action will continue.

The doctors' position comes amid a nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which has seen hospitals across the country grapple with service disruptions over unpaid arrears, manpower shortages, and deteriorating working conditions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Ilorin, ARD-KWASUTH President, Dr. Abdulfatah Abdulazeez, said the silence of the state government since the local strike began had further deepened the frustrations of medical workers who, he noted, "have endured years of neglect."

"The state government has neither reached out nor attempted to engage us meaningfully since the strike commenced. This silence is not only disappointing but worsens the already demoralising conditions under which our members work," he said.

Dr. Abdulazeez highlighted specific financial issues, stating that doctors at the institution are being owed accoutrement allowances for 2024 and 2025, describing the situation as "totally unacceptable."

"Our members are still being owed accoutrement allowances spanning two years. It is demoralising and unfair," he said.

The association affirmed that the strike will continue until the government engages them and addresses their key welfare demands.

He added that the union had repeatedly engaged relevant authorities on the hospital's dire manpower challenges but that nothing had been done.

"Our key concerns include the widening manpower gap. We urgently need House Officers, and the few we have are poorly remunerated. We also need more resident doctors to prevent losing our residency accreditation," he noted.

The ARD-KWASUTH president said the poor working environment at the teaching hospital continued to hinder effective service delivery, a situation he said contradicts the government's public claims of investing in healthcare.

"Despite our commitment to improve service delivery and ensure quality healthcare, the issues remain unresolved. It has become impossible to maintain optimal services under these conditions," he lamented.

He maintained that the association would not suspend its industrial action until the state government engages meaningfully with the union and addresses its demands.

"We will continue with the strike unless the state government responds responsibly to these issues affecting quality healthcare delivery," Abdulazeez said.

The doctors' grievances mirror growing concerns across Kwara State, where health workers have repeatedly complained about poor welfare, stagnated remuneration, lack of incentives and insufficient staffing problems that have contributed to the mass exodus of medical professionals from the state in recent years.

When contacted around 6 pm, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, asked our correspondent to send a message.

Messages were sent via WhatsApp and SMS, but as of 8 pm, she had yet to respond.

"Please give me some time, I will respond to you," she said when contacted again.