The Chairman of Oyo State Hospitals Management Board,Dr Akin fagbemi has appealed to the striking nurses in the state to call off the strike in the interest of the entire populace of the state.
Fagbemi made the appeal on Thursday during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan on the lingering strike.
The chairman added that Governor Seyi Makinde has been very magnanimous in responding to all workers’ issues in the state the nurses inclusive.
Dr Fagbemi said the demands of the striking nurses are purely administrative which is within the power of the state government to do and His Excellency has given his directives in respect to their demands.
“The key areas in the demands of the striking nurses is the issues of recruitment and it would be recalled that in the year 2020 government recruited health workers in the state and they have given a directives to replace if there are vacancies within the board.”
He added that the advert for the recruitment has been within the public place to recruit competent hands and those who can fit into different categories vis-a-vis the doctors,nurses,midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapist and all relevant areas within the board.
The chairman said he has been speaking with the chairman of the nurses and midwives union that are on strike in the state and they have seen some positive steps taken so far by the state government.
He said the striking nurses should also consider calling off the strike in the interest of the public because some of the steps taking so far will be in their own interest and in the interest of the state government.
He thanked other health workers working in the hospitals in the state during the strike period, some of them have been working round the clock so that the gap that was created by the nurses and midwives has been filled by these other health workers.
He also praisef the commissioner for health in the state,the Permanent secretaries of the ministry and the board as well as the HOS and the SA to the governor on labour matter on their efforts to bring an end to this strike embarked upon by the nurses and midwives in the state.
He also stressed that the recruitment of health care workers in the state is a continuous process and that before the end of the year the board will still look at the gap with the hospitals and do the needful.He therefore encouraged them that they should please understand the govt citing the recent strike action called upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress on the issues of minimum wage which have many negative effects on the nation as a whole and which will be a burden on the state government.
