RismadarVoice Reporters, May 25, 2026
A simmering industrial dispute at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital has reached a critical breaking point, with consultant doctors warning that the institution risks total paralysis unless the state government urgently addresses crumbling infrastructure, withheld professional allowances, and what they describe as a deliberate campaign to silence dissenting voices within the facility.
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria at DELSUTH escalated tensions over the weekend, cautioning that an indefinite strike was imminent if their grievances remained unresolved a development that could cripple clinical services, suspend residency training, and disrupt the medical school programme tied to the hospital.
The warning came as the association’s one-week strike action, which commenced on May 18, continued into its second week with no concrete resolution in sight.
At the heart of the standoff is the Delta State Government’s failure to implement the Revised Professional Allowances already being received by doctors in federal health institutions — a disparity the association says is pushing specialists out of DELSUTH at an alarming rate. Several consultants have reportedly defected to neighbouring federal facilities, including the National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, citing unsustainable welfare conditions.
“Doctors are leaving in droves because welfare conditions are no longer sustainable,” the association stated in a jointly signed communiqué by its Chairman, Dr Abolodje Efe, and Secretary, Dr Nwajei Anita, following an Emergency General Meeting.
Beyond the welfare crisis, the doctors levelled serious allegations of institutional intimidation against hospital management. According to the association, its chairman was subjected to a Facebook blackmail attempt, issued a query letter, and was hauled before an investigative panel over unattributed social media post actions that the group condemned as victimisation designed to suppress legitimate complaints.
The controversy deepened further when Channels Television, invited by MDCAN for an independent assessment of the hospital’s condition, was allegedly denied access by management. Shortly afterwards, the association claimed, a separate media organisation was invited while hurried repair and clean-up activities were observed across wards and corridors moves the doctors characterised as an orchestrated attempt to project a misleading image of the facility ahead of the visit.
“Rather than addressing the concerns raised by MDCAN, there appears to be an attempt to suppress the truth and mislead the public about the actual state of the hospital,” the association declared.
MDCAN urged the Delta State Government to step in immediately, warning that inaction would not only devastate healthcare delivery at the tertiary institution but also accelerate the brain drain already hollowing out its medical workforce.
The association further demanded an end to what it described as the victimisation of its leadership, insisting that dialogue not intimidation was the only viable path to resolving the crisis.
