Health care system nosedives in Ondo State, as Resident doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo (UNIMEDTH) began an indefinite strike on Monday over unpaid salaries and allowances.

The doctors, who converged on the UNIMEDTH Akure Annex to declare the industrial action, said they were left with no option than to begin the action after the seven days warning strike earlier embarked upon did not lead to any positive response from the state government.

Acting President, National Association of Resident Doctors, UNIMEDTH Chapter, Dr Sanni Oriyomi, told newsmen that the doctors could no longer continue to work without pay as the government owed them four-and-a-half months arrears of salaries, Covid-19 allowances and other entitlements.

He lamented that the non-payment of salaries had led to the resignation of more than 50 resident doctors from the teaching hospital a situation which, he said, was not good for patients.

Oriyomi said the acceptable minimum to end the strike was for government to pay the backlog of salaries owed while other demands could be negotiated.

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The Spokesperson for the doctors, Taiwo Olagbe said the indefinite strike was inevitable in view of the hardship the doctors faced and appealed to the state government to accede to their demands in the shortest possible time.