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The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kogi on Wednesday urged the State Government to do the needful and meet their demands to avoid brain drain in Kogi health sector.
Dr Godwin Tijani, the Chairman of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that many people had died in the last 30 days as a result of the ongoing doctors strike in the state.
Tijani noted that the strike was 30-day-old on Wednesday Feb. 7 (today), and government was yet to meet their demands.
“Many people are suffering to access healthcare services and many have died of preventable diseases.
“This is not good for our healthcare sector; we have fewer doctors and many of them have got job and left Kogi to other states with better pay.
“Many of our doctors attended the recent interviews conducted by Zamfara, Niger and Yobe State Government, while others just came back from Abuja to attend interview conducted by Saudi Arabia.
“Those that attended Zamfara interview were about 30 doctors, and over 20 doctors for Yobe; we cannot afford to lose more of our doctors to the higher bidders.
“We are appealing to the state government to do the needful to prevent further brain drain that has already started in Kogi health sector. The time to act is now,” Tijani said.
NAN reports that the NMA in Kogi had on Sunday Jan. 7, directed its members to resume strike over an alleged failure by the state government to meet their demands.
The demands include: the inability of the state government to pay the doctors’ full salaries by paying 60 per cent of September to December 2017 salaries, some doctors yet to be paid.
The doctors want government to give a definite time line for the full implementation of adjusted CONMESS (new salary structure) for doctors in the state civil service and the accrued arrears since January, 2014.
The doctors’ associations and union dues as well as members’ cooperative society contributions were not remitted in full whereas 100 per cent taxes were deducted from their salaries, among others.
(NAN)
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