Healthcare Crisis: Imo Health Workers Set to Shut Down Hospitals Over "Stagnant" Salaries

A Failed Negotiation

The health sector in Imo State is on the verge of a total collapse as the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike. The unions cite persistent negligence of their welfare and the failure of several rounds of negotiations with Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration.

In a joint statement signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Uche Okafor, the leadership expressed frustration that multiple efforts to engage the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Head of Service have been ignored.

The "CONHESS" Dispute

At the heart of the crisis is a discrepancy in the state’s payroll portal. The unions allege that the government has replaced the approved Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) with inconsistent designations like "HWSS," "CSS," and "HAPSS."

Key Grievances and Demands:

  • Salary Distortion: The union claims the new portal structure has led to stagnation and an "unjustifiable reduction" in earnings.

  • Arrears: They are demanding the payment of outstanding CONHESS arrears from September 2025 to date.

  • Allowances: Immediate payment of specialist, call duty, clinical duty, hazard, and rural posting allowances.

  • IMSUTH Promotions: Harmonization and full financial implementation of promotions for staff at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH).

Ultimatum and Impasse

The path to this strike has been months in the making. The union revealed that it had previously issued a 21-day ultimatum on November 12, 2025, which expired on December 3, 2025, without any "meaningful engagement" from the state government. By March 2026, the situation has reached a breaking point, with health workers describing their current conditions as a state of "serious hardship."

Analysis: A Fragile System Under Strain

If the strike proceeds, it will paralyze primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare delivery across Imo State. For Governor Uzodinma, who is currently managing various developmental projects, this labor dispute represents a significant political and humanitarian challenge. The workers' refusal to accept "notional placement"—where they are promoted in title but not in pay—highlights a deep-seated distrust in the state's financial transparency. With private hospitals likely to be overwhelmed, the state government is under increasing pressure to restore the CONHESS structure before the "last option" of a total shutdown is triggered.

"The continuous negligence of workers’ welfare compelled us to consider an indefinite strike as our last option... the salary structure on the portal is inconsistent with the approved CONHESS structure." — Comrade Uche Okafor, JOHESU Chairman