By Stephen Adeleye.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Kogi Hospital Management Board (KHMB), Dr Zakari Usman, has commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for the implementation of the 2014 corrected Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors working in Kogi State civil service.
Usman gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lokoja.
The CMD noted that the implementation of the revised CONMESS for Kogi doctors was effected in January 2021 due to the Governor’s directive and approval.
“I want to use this opportunity to extend our gratitude from the Hospital Management Board to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, for always thinking health firsts.
“His Excellency is a health friendly governor of our state, who has just recently considered and approved the revised CONMESS of 2014 for our doctors.
“This has demonstrated to us that yes, among the the areas of interventions, health is indeed second only to education,” Usman said.
According to him, beyond the ongoing building projects of three new hospitals in the state; a Reference Hospital in Okene, Ultramodern General Hospitals in Gegu in Kotonkarfe, and in Eganyi in Ajaokuta LGA.
He added that in spite of the rehabilitation work that is currently ongoing at Kogi Specialist Hospital Lokoja, and the proposed upgrade of the Zonal Hospitals in Idah and Isanlu, Gov. Bello still consider it necessary to approve and implement the 2014 CONMESS for Kogi doctors.
“This is appreciated by us at the hospital management board, and by implications I am sure the other health agencies; the Specialist, and Teaching hospitals are also very appreciative because the doctors are excited,” he said.
He stressed that there was no doubt, the gesture would reflect in their dedication to work, assuring that it would go a long way to impacting on the work ethics of the doctors.
Usman assured that the doctors would reciprocate the gesture with dedication to work, high professionalism, saying, “we do not expect to see any form of tiredness at the places of work. To whom much is given; much is expected.”
“We are excited at the prospects of what the health sector stand to benefit from this gesture of His Excellency.
“Not all States have implemented the 2014 revised CONMESS for their doctors; Kogi is one of the few states that had done this.
“From this month salary, I have gathered from doctors that most of them had already received salaries in accordance with revised CONMESS of 2014.
“I am also optimistic that the issue of full CONHESS for other categories of health care workers and call duty allowances for Optometrist will receive prompt and urgent attention,” he said.
The medical director further thanked the Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, who had worked assiduously to ensure that the agitation came into fruition, saying, ”we are grateful and God bless”.
He called on doctors of Kogi State origin in particular, and other parts of the federation to come home and join hand to building Kogi health sector.
He added that there was a planned recruitment of healthcare workers to bridge the human resource gap.
NAN reports that the implementation of the 2014 revised CONMESS, had been one of the long agitations of the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
