The Kogi State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to the state government to speedy up the implementation of the new hazard allowance for doctors in the state.
The association made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of its second quarter of State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting held on June 2, 2023 at its state secretariat in Lokoja, adding that after long deliberations and observations made the SEC resolved to do as follow.
The communiqué, which was jointly signed by Kogi NMA chairman and secretary; Baoku Olusola and Emmanuel B.J Kelvin, respectively, and made available to journalists on Thursday in Lokoja.
The communiqué also urged the Kogi State government to domesticate and implement the medical Residency Training Act in the state.
“Appeal to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello to instruct the relevant departments and agencies in the state to speed up the bureaucracy in the path to achieving the implementation of the new hazard allowance for doctors in the employ of the state.
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“Urge the Kogi State Government to domesticate and implement the medical Residency Training Act in the state”, the communiqué said.
The NMA also commended the governor for his giant strides in the infrastructural investments in the state’s health sector.
The association however decried serious human resources gaps in the various health institutions at all levels, including state-owned health institutions, alongside significant movement of doctors out of the state employ.
The communiqué also observed the slow responses to some of the correspondences with the state government on the implementation of the new hazard allowance.
“Also observed was the wide margin between the salaries and allowances of doctors under the employment of the state and those in the federal health institution.
“The association observed that the major culprit to the threat of the residency training in the Kogi State Specialist Hospital is the non-domestication/non- implementation of the Medical Residency training Act by the Kogi state Government, as it is being done/implemented in FCT and other states,” the communiqué stated.
The NMA therefore urged the state government to set up a high-powered panel to review and resolve these serious issues amongst others, affecting the medical profession and practice in the state.
