Medical doctors took to the streets of Osogbo, the Osun state capital, on Thursday to protest the “mutilation” of their salaries by the state government.

Tokunbo Olajumoke, Chairman of the Osun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said the protest is also about unpaid salary arrears and poor conditions of public hospitals.

A similar protest was held by the doctors over the same issues in June but nothing was done by the state government.

The doctors marched from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital to Oke Fia Roundabout, chanting anti-government songs and accusing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of insensitivity to their suffering.

Olajumoke told journalists that doctors’ salaries had been slashed drastically as they were now being paid only 30 percent of their salaries while the government continues taxing them based on 100 percent of the salaries.

“Our protest is not only centred on our salaries but state hospitals lack equipment and drugs,” he said.

“The conditions of our hospitals are bad. There are no drugs; the most expensive drugs in many hospitals are paracetamol and other painkillers.

“We say no to obnoxious tax regime; we say no to amputated salaries and we want our hospitals to work in the interest of people who cannot afford to seek treatment abroad.

“That is why we are calling on major stakeholders in the state to talk to the governor. We cannot give half treatment to our patients because we are being paid amputated salaries.

“We have done everything humanly possible but the governor is recalcitrant. We also will not allow our rights to be trampled upon and keep silent.”

However, Adelani Baderinwa, Commissioner for Information, appealed to the doctors to show understanding with the government, adding that the state is facing financial challenges just like many others in the country.

“Our appeal to the doctors is that they should take the ethics of their profession seriously; they should consider the financial status of Nigeria which Osun State is part of,” he said.

“There should be synergy and understanding between the government and the doctors on the need to save lives. This administration was never found wanting in the area of workers’ welfare including the doctors when the economy was better than it is now.”