₦25,000 Salary Alerts Rock BSUTH as Doctors, Nurses Decry Govt’s Handling of Strike
Doctors and nurses at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) have raised alarm over what they describe as punitive salary payments by the Benue State Government amid the ongoing industrial action at the tertiary health institution.
Findings show that striking resident doctors at BSUTH received between ₦25,000 and ₦35,000 as January salary, a fraction of their statutory monthly earnings, while probatory nurses were reportedly not paid at all for December 2025 and January 2026.
The development has further heightened tension at the hospital, with health workers accusing the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia of adopting reprisals rather than dialogue to resolve the lingering dispute.
Resident doctors expressed shock at the alerts, noting that Registrars and Senior Registrars ordinarily earn between ₦300,000 and ₦500,000 monthly, while confirmed nurses earn between ₦250,000 and ₦500,000, depending on cadre and years of service.
“This is not just salary deduction; it is humiliation,” a resident doctor told Daily Times on condition of anonymity. “In the middle of a severe economic crisis, paying a senior doctor ₦25,000 is a deliberate attempt to punish workers for going on strike.”
Further investigations revealed that BSUTH management, under the leadership of the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Terungwa Hwande, also recovered monies previously paid to striking staff for call duty, hazard allowance, shift duty, teaching allowance and rural posting allowances.
Hospital authorities reportedly justified the recovery by stating that November and December salaries had been paid while the workers were already on strike.
However, the explanation has been rejected by health workers, who insist that allowances are earned benefits, not discretionary payments.
More troubling, according to staff unions, is the situation of probatory nurses who have not received any salary for two months, with no official communication from either the hospital management or the state government regarding when payments will be made.
Health workers warn that the actions of the government have worsened an already fragile situation, effectively stalling prospects for a speedy resolution of the strike.
The prolonged industrial action and the worsening relationship between the government and healthcare workers may further cripple healthcare delivery in the state, leaving patients as the ultimate victims.
As at press time, efforts to get official reactions from the Benue State Government and BSUTH management were unsuccessful.
