The Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (GMLD), Lagos State Chapter, has appealed to the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene in the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that the prolonged industrial action is endangering lives and crippling healthcare delivery across the state.
The JOHESU strike, which commenced on 15 November, 2025, has led to the withdrawal of critical health services in public health facilities, particularly at screening and diagnostic centres, worsening access to timely medical care for thousands of Lagos residents.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Chairman, Abimbola Julius Adekoya, and Secretary General, Dr Leo Aniakor, GMLD expressed deep concern over the disruption of laboratory services, noting that essential tests required for safe blood transfusion and effective patient management have been severely constrained.
According to the Adekoya, the absence of functional laboratory screening services has resulted in avoidable delays in diagnosis and treatment, exposing patients, especially pregnant women, accident victims, surgical patients and those requiring emergency transfusions, to heightened health risks.
Adekoya further warned that the gains recorded by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) through years of investment in safe, reliable and voluntary blood services may be eroded if the strike persists without urgent resolution.
Since the commencement of the industrial action, JOHESU has repeatedly called on the Lagos State Government to address its grievances, which include welfare concerns, unresolved agreements and conditions of service, following what the union described as prolonged engagement without satisfactory outcomes.
Sources within the health sector confirmed that before embarking on the strike, JOHESU had issued formal notices, held consultative meetings with relevant government agencies, and made appeals for dialogue, urging authorities to avert a shutdown of essential health services.
However, as negotiations stalled, the union proceeded with the strike, leaving many public hospitals operating skeletal services, while patients—mostly low-income residents who depend on government facilities—bear the brunt of the disruption.
Across Lagos, patients have been forced to seek costly private alternatives, postpone critical procedures, or endure long waiting periods, a situation health experts warn could worsen morbidity and mortality if allowed to continue.
The GMLD Chairman stressed that no Lagos resident should suffer preventable illness or loss of life over issues that are resolvable through sincere dialogue and negotiation, calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to use his good offices to facilitate constructive engagement among all stakeholders.
Reaffirming its commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in the state, the Guild urged the government to act swiftly in the overriding interest of public health, warning that further delay could deepen the humanitarian and health consequences of the strike for millions of Lagosians.
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