Sikirat Shehu
The Nigeria Association of Government Medical and Dental Practitioner, (NAGMDP) Kwara Chapter on Tuesday threatened to withdraw their services across the state, over poor remuneration.
This was announced in a letter jointly signed by Saka Agboola, a medical practitioner and Chairman of NAGMDP and Ayinde Musa, (Dr) the Secretary of the Association, and made available to journalists in Ilorin the state capital.
The letter which was addressed to the state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and other stakeholders, stated that the action was as a result of not only poor remuneration but also poor conditions of service.
The association lamented that “this has resulted to a major cause of mass resignation and brain drain which we are currently experiencing among doctors and other health care workers in the state.
“With reference to the letter sent to your Excellency dated 16th of June 2021 titled ‘Letter of request’ and subsequent reminders dated 13th and 27th of July 2021 respectively, drawing the attention of your Excellency.
“On Friday 20th of August 2021, an emergency general meeting of the Nigeria Association of Government Medical and Dental Practitioner Kwara State Chapter was held,” it said.
It added that this is necessary, in order to prevent the imminent collapse of health care system in the state.
The association, however, insisted that the state government must recruit more medical officers in addition to constant replacement of those that are resigning on daily basis, adding that there should be provision of adequate security in all of our hospitals to avoid breaking down of laws and order by patient and their relatives.
The association also called for payment of COVID-19 allowance to members and other health care workers, as well as provision of vehicle and housing loan facility at single digit interest rate to all members as a way of motivation and retention in service.
The association declared that if their demands are not met by 13th of Sept. 2021, “we shall have no alternative than to withdraw the service of our members across all the hospitals in the state.
“While we hope government and its relevant ministry will do the needful by avoiding unnecessary disruption of health care services across the state.”
Reacting to this development, Mr Oladimeji Sa’ad-Aluko, the Director-General of Kwara State Hospital Management Bureau asserted that the governor has been looking at modalities concerning the salary increase agitation of the association.
According to him, the issue of salary increase is not peculiar to Kwara alone but the whole country, and that the Federal Government also is unable to solve the issues they have with National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
“The government is taking decisive effort to making sure that we are able to meet those demands before the stipulated date that they have given the government.
“The government is ensuring that no stone is left unturned so that everything we need to do to make sure that next month or next year they will not comeback and ask for another increase,” he said.
Sa’ad-Aluko informed that the government has approved recruitment of more hospital staffs, adding that the approval has been sent to the Civil Service Commission to Carey out the proper employment procedure.