Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, have given the Lagos State Government seven days to resolve outstanding issues involving unpaid allowances, salary shortfalls and promotion arrears.
According to Vanguard, the Association of Resident Doctors, LASUTH, warned that failure to address the concerns within the seven-day period could trigger further industrial action and create tension within the state’s health sector.
The association, speaking to journalists in Lagos on Thursday, outlined three immediate demands.
They include the implementation and payment of the Specialist Allowance for all Grade Level 14 resident doctors at LASUTH, settlement of outstanding arrears of the allowance, and payment of salary shortfalls and promotion arrears owed affected members.
President of LASUTH-ARD, Dr Gabriel Akerele, alleged that some government officials had given the association misleading information regarding the inclusion of the Specialist Allowance for Senior Registrar 1 doctors in the Professional Allowance Table approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Akerele said the doctors were informed that the allowance had been included in the document forwarded to the governor for approval.
He recalled that the association met with Governor Sanwo-Olu on July 17, when the governor reviewed and approved the file containing the Professional Allowance Table.
However, the doctors discovered after receiving their August salaries that the Specialist Allowance had not been included.
Akerele said the situation was particularly concerning because resident doctors in federal institutions had been receiving the allowance since February 2026, while states including Osun, Delta and Enugu had also started implementing it.
He added that the Federal Government had committed to paying 19 months of outstanding professional allowances, with payment expected to begin this month.
Promotion arrears
The association also raised concerns over unpaid salary arrears linked to promotions granted to some doctors.
Akerele said some members received notional promotions in July 2025, with the financial benefits expected to take effect from September. However, payments did not begin until November, leaving outstanding arrears for September and October.
According to him, repeated appeals to the relevant authorities had not resulted in payment.
The LASUTH-ARD president said the Professional Allowance Table covers various benefits, including Specialist Allowance, Call Duty Allowance, Teaching Allowance and Rural Posting Allowance.
He argued that the Specialist Allowance should also cover Grade Level 14 Senior Registrars, noting that their counterparts in federal institutions were already receiving the benefit.
Akerele said the association had held discussions with officials from the Ministries of Health and Establishments and Training, the Public Service Office and the State Treasury Office in an effort to resolve the issues.
He appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene, suggesting that the governor might not have been aware that the Specialist Allowance was left out of the document he approved.
The doctors said they remained open to dialogue but insisted that the welfare of their members could not be compromised.
They warned that failure to meet their demands within seven days could result in further action.
The association, however, commended the Lagos State Government for paying Medical Residency Training Funds and implementing the Professional Allowance for doctors in the state.
It also acknowledged the contributions of First Lady Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat towards healthcare delivery and industrial harmony in Lagos.
Source: Vanguard
