The Association of Resident Doctors, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has called on the hospital management to immediately suspend its directive imposing a ₦2,500 fee for the issuance and renewal of staff identity cards, describing the charge as unjust, exploitative, and unacceptable.
The demand was contained in a communiqué issued after an Emergency General Meeting held virtually on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, a copy of which was obtained in Osogbo on Monday.
The communiqué, signed by the President of the association, Dr Martins Jesunbo, and the General Secretary, Dr Oladipo Toyyeb, and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of OAUTHC, faulted a circular by the management which mandated newly employed staff and newly promoted officers to pay for ID cards.
ARD reaffirmed that staff identity cards are institutional property which, under Public Service Rules 021101 and 021002(f), should be issued and managed by the employing authority.
The communiqué also accused the hospital management of failing to provide comprehensive call duty meal coverage for resident doctors, adding that the worsening state of residential accommodation for members has compounded their welfare burden.
“The blanket imposition of these charges during a period of severe economic hardship and critical manpower shortages risks undermining staff morale and welfare,” the communiqué stated.
The association, in its resolutions, demanded that the management urgently review and expand the current call duty meal allocation within 21 days to adequately cover all doctors on call per day across all cadres and departments.
It also demanded that the directive imposing payment for staff identity cards be immediately suspended and that management make appropriate budgetary provisions for their production and issuance in line with established administrative best practices.
“That the directive mandating the attachment of staff identity cards to official correspondence and applications be immediately reversed forthwith.
“That management should urgently look into the residential quarters from which resident doctors have been displaced, and ensure their immediate renovation, rehabilitation, and reallocation to resident doctors, given that such units remain vacant and unutilised to date,” the communiqué further read.
The congress issued a 21-day ultimatum starting from May 26 to management to address their demands or face “lawful union activities, including a peaceful protest.”
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