Abia Owes Health Workers 13-Month Salaries – NMA

ABUJA (THE TIDE) -- The Nigerian Medical Association yesterday said Abia State Government owed doctors and other health workers at the Abia State Teaching Hospital up to 13-month salaries, while members of the state Hospital Management Board had not been paid for 10 months.

The president of the association, Dr. Francis Faduyile, said this in Abuja while reading the communique issued at the end of the 59th Annual General Conference and delegates’ meeting of the association, which was held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Faduyile noted that the salary of Nigerian doctors was abysmally lower than what their counterparts get in other countries, stating that the NMA would appear at the next meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to discuss the issue with governors.

He said, “The AGC/DM expressed great displeasure and frowned at the failure of the Abia State Government to pay the salaries of doctors and other health workers working at Abia State University Teaching Hospital for up to 13 months and Abia State Hospital Management Board for 10 months.
“The AGC/DM also expressed great displeasure and frowned at the payment of 70 per cent salaries to doctors and other health workers working with the Imo State Government since September 2015.
“The AGC/DM considered the action of both the Abia State Government and Imo State Government as unacceptable, while also expressing great displeasure at the non-payment of skipping by some tertiary health institutions in the country.”

The NMA also called on the police and other security agencies to secure the release of two doctors kidnapped in Taraba State.

He added that the two doctors were still being held even after the ransom demanded was paid.
“The AGC/DM called on government at all levels and the security agencies to urgently do the needful in addressing the various security challenges in Nigeria.

“The AGC/DM specifically called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Service and other security agencies in Taraba State to ensure the safe release of Dr Sunday Oduniya and DrAuduSule.

“We have been working round the clock to ensure the release of the doctors. Unfortunately, after meeting the demands of the kidnappers, they are not released. We believe that with improved security arrangement, our doctors would have been released.”

The NMA president said the association decried what he described as ‘criminalization of Nigerian doctors,’ noting that all grievances relating to the medical and dental practice should be directed to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.