Ayodeji Ake
The Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH-ARD), has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government to resolve outstanding issues involving specialist allowances and salary arrears owed to resident doctors.
The association warned that failure to address the demands within the stipulated period could lead to further industrial action and create industrial disharmony in the state’s health sector.
LASUTH-ARD made the demand during a press briefing yesterday lead by the President, Dr. Akerele Alaba Gabriel.
The latest development follows a three-day warning strike embarked upon by the doctors from June 15 to 17, 2026, over concerns about their welfare and working conditions.
Among the issues raised during the warning strike were the immediate resumption of construction of resident doctors’ quarters within LASUTH, implementation of the Professional Allowance Table (PAT) for Lagos State-employed doctors, payment of specialist allowance for Grade Level 14 resident doctors, also known as Senior Registrar 1 (SR1), and payment of salary shortfalls and advancement arrears.
According to the association, several meetings were subsequently held with officials of the Lagos State Government, during which assurances were given that the specialist allowance for SR1 resident doctors would be incorporated into the Professional Allowance Table.
LASUTH-ARD said the matter was also discussed during a meeting with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on July 17, 2026, led by the Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr Oluwole Olusanya.
The association said the governor approved the implementation of the Professional Allowance Table for resident doctors and other doctors in the state.
However, the doctors said they were surprised to discover that the specialist allowance was not reflected in the August salaries paid to affected members.
The association alleged that subsequent verification showed that the specialist allowance for SR1 doctors was not included in the Professional Allowance Table approved by the governor.
“This is an act of deceit and a breach of trust,” LASUTH-ARD said, insisting that the specialist allowance remained unpaid
The doctors also expressed concern over the non-payment of salary shortfalls and advancement arrears owed to members who had earned promotions.
The association rejected the government’s position that payment of arrears requires express approval from the governor, arguing that the affected doctors had already earned the promotions and were entitled to the corresponding financial benefits.
“We need to state categorically that this is a shortfall in salary for some of our members and needs to be paid,” the association said.
LASUTH-ARD further stated that the specialist allowance had been paid to resident doctors in federal institutions since February 2026, while some states, including Osun, Delta and Enugu, had also implemented the payment.
It added that payment of 19 months of arrears was expected to commence at federal institutions in August.
The association described the exclusion of SR1 resident doctors from the allowance as “unjust, demoralising and counterproductive to healthcare delivery in Lagos State. We cannot fold our hands while our members continue to suffer financial and career stagnation,” the doctors said.
LASUTH-ARD is therefore demanding three immediate actions from the state government: implementation and payment of the specialist allowance to Grade Level 14 resident doctors; payment of arrears of the allowance; and immediate settlement of outstanding salary shortfalls and advancement arrears owed to affected members.
The association appealed directly to Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene and ensure that the issues were resolved in the interest of fairness, equity and quality healthcare delivery.
“We remain committed to dialogue but we will not compromise on the welfare of our members,” LASUTH-ARD said.
The association nevertheless commended the governor for the payment of Medical Residency Training Funds to resident doctors and the implementation of professional allowances for doctors in Lagos State.
It also acknowledged the contributions of the First Lady, Dr Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and Deputy Governor Kadri Obafemi Hamzat to healthcare delivery and harmony within the state’s health sector.
The doctors, however, maintained that failure to resolve their demands within seven days would leave them with “no option but to take further actions,” warning that such actions could result in industrial disharmony.