Osun govt urges health unions to shelve planned strike over UNIOSUNTH PPP

The Osun State Government has appealed to health sector unions at the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH) in Osogbo to call off their planned industrial action over a proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for laboratory services.

The state government directed its appeal to the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), assuring both groups that the proposed arrangement is designed to enhance healthcare delivery at the facility.

In a statement released on Saturday, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, clarified that the proposed PPP is not a privatization scheme and will not result in the displacement of any current staff members. Adekunle emphasized that no employee will lose their job, position, or employment status because of the initiative. Instead, he noted, the partnership is expected to grant the hospital better access to modern equipment, reagents, and other essential medical consumables.

According to the special adviser, the partnership will also provide opportunities for professional development and training for staff, while simultaneously boosting the quality and efficiency of the services offered by the teaching hospital.

“The fact that the management is convening meetings with the unions, even when discussions with the prospective partners are still ongoing and no final agreement has been signed, is a clear demonstration that the Osun State Government values its workers and considers them important stakeholders in this reform,” Adekunle said.

Adekunle urged the unions to remain engaged in discussions with the hospital's management and governing board rather than launching a strike.

“We appeal to our highly respected health workers not to shut down a hospital that exists principally to save lives. Industrial action in the health sector does not hurt government alone; it directly affects patients, particularly the poor and vulnerable who depend on public healthcare facilities,” he said.

He further highlighted that the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke remains dedicated to the welfare of health workers and other public servants across the state.

“His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has consistently placed the welfare of workers and the well-being of our people above political considerations,” Ade