Doctors in Kwara State have issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to address their demands or risk industrial action across health facilities in the state.
The ultimatum was issued by doctors under the umbrellas of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at a joint emergency executive meeting held on September 26, 2026.
At the emergency meeting, issues concerning the state of healthcare in various hospitals across the state, including the sudden deductions for KwaraCare and the 2025 review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), among others, were discussed.
Members expressed dissatisfaction with their September salary payments, from which funds were deducted for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme at a time when they were expecting an upward salary review that had already been implemented for doctors in federal and other state-owned health institutions across the country since January 2026.
In a statement, the body said: “We have held several stakeholders’ meetings with the Executive Secretary of the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme on the matter of the KwaraCare deductions, but no resolution had been reached before the deductions commenced.
“On the salary review, we have submitted several letters regarding the implementation of CONMESS 2025, as contained in the circular of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (Circular No. SWC/S/04/S.218/IV/876, dated November 19, 2025).
“This circular has been implemented in federal parastatals and other states of the federation since January 2026, with approval for the payment of arrears from September 2024, which have since been paid to beneficiaries.”
They stated categorically that Kwara doctors were peaceful and progressive and supported the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“It is not, and has never been, in our interest to create unrest in the state’s health sector,” the aggrieved doctors added.
They, however, appealed to the governor to consider their interests and the sacrifices they continued to make despite manpower shortages and the resulting heavy patient load across state hospitals.
Among other demands, the doctors called for the immediate implementation of the CONMESS 2025 review for Kwara doctors and the payment of arrears in line with the Federal Government’s circular.
Other demands include the reversal of funds deducted from members’ salaries for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme, which they described as unlawful, and the recruitment of more house officers, as approved by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), for the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) and other tertiary healthcare facilities in the state.
The aggrieved doctors also called for the recruitment of more medical officers to staff various general and cottage hospitals, as well as more resident doctors in the state’s teaching hospitals.
The body further demanded the recruitment of more consultants in state teaching hospitals and other specialist hospitals, the renovation of house officers’ quarters in the teaching hospitals, and the establishment of a governing board for KWASUTH in line with the KWASUTH Act.
“Members have accordingly agreed to declare a two-week ultimatum, running from October 1 to 14, 2026, for the government to favourably address these demands. The Congress shall reconvene before the expiration of this ultimatum to review the progress made.
“We remain confident that His Excellency, the Executive Governor, will promptly address the issues raised, as we cannot guarantee continued industrial harmony after the ultimatum expires,” the statement added.
Kwara doctors issue two-week ultimatum to govt over poor welfare