Health
DOCTORS under the aegis of the Medical Guild have appealed to the Lagos State Government to avert avoidable crises in the state’s health sector through prompt implementation of incentives for workers in the state.
Dr Moruf Abdulsalam, Chairman, Medical Guild, made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Medical Guild is the association of doctors under the employment of the Lagos State Government.
Abdulsalam said it was crucial to draw attention to the dire conditions of service of medical personnel in the state and the need for urgent action to avert avoidable breakdown in service delivery.
He said that the Guild had utilised advocacy and constructive persuasion to avert the looming crisis, noting that the government didn’t bulge.
The chairman disclosed that the guild in the next few days would converge its Congress to determine the next line of action.
Abdulsalam recalled that the medical Guild had earlier declared an industrial dispute with the state government over non-payment of the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for medical doctors in the state.
He said that the dispute was also over the demotion of specialist consultants as a result of incorrect step entry points into the public service and the non deduction of contributory pension and NHF deductions for resident doctors in the state.
“The globally recognised brain drain (JAPA) syndrome remains an inadequately recognised crisis, and the apparent lukewarm approach of the state government towards the above highlighted issues only serves to tilt the Lagos doctors’ endurance to the breakpoint.
“An average of two to three doctors resign from our primary and secondary facilities every month without commensurate replacement.
“This has led to overwork, chronic fatigue, burnout, and strained family relationships for the remaining doctors with many grappling with chronic medical conditions from the stress and overwork.
“Moreover, the current economic starvation and stagflation in the country are biting harder on doctors too,” he said.
Abdulsalam noted that this was worsened by the nonpayment of the reviewed CONMESS allowance and other issues of poor conditions of service.
“These factors are currently heightening the tension and fuelling the haemorrhage of doctors from the state to private establishments and then outside of the country.
“Nigeria and Lagos state in particular is plagued with human resource migration for greener pastures which has led to a frightening reduction in the number of doctors left in the state to manage the ever-growing population of a mega city like Lagos.
“This fact was corroborated recently by the remarks of the Honorable Commissioner for Health in Lagos State where he alluded to the reality that Lagos needs about 30,000 medical practitioners to fill this personnel gap,” he said.
To avert the crisis, Abdulsalam called for payment of the reviewed CONMESS allowance (living wage of doctors) as implemented for their federal counterparts with its accrued arrears from July 2023.
He also demanded for the employment of Medical Officers on grade level 12, step two and consultants at grade level 15, step four in line with national best practices.
Abdulsalam called for immediate restoration and payment of contributory pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions for resident doctors as enshrined in the Pension Reform Act of 2014.
He also demanded the full implementation of the September 2023 Medical Guild position paper, as discussed and assented to by the Lagos state government. (NAN)
A.I
July 24, 2024 @ 15:29 GMT|
Tags: Dr Moruf Abdulsalam
