…Lament Shortage Of Health Personnel
Medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association(NMA), Ondo State chapter, have handed down a 7-day ultimatum to the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led administration to implement the approved hazard allowance.
The doctors vowed to shut down health facilities in the state if the governor failed to take action to ensure payment of the hazard allowance.
Lamenting the poor way they are being treated by the state government, the chairman of the state chapter of NMA, Dr. Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe disclosed that currently, doctors are being paid N5000 as hazard allowance.
The doctors resolved to give an ultimatum to the state government at the Association’s Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Akure, Ondo State capital.
According to the communique issued by NMA and jointly signed by its chairman and secretary, Dr. Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe and Dr. Adeayo Omotehinse, “The congress resolved to give an ultimatum of 7 days to the Government of Ondo State to implement the approved hazard allowance. This is the lowest-hanging fruit.
“That failure to implement this after the expiration of the 7 days, the relative industrial harmony in the state health sector shall no longer be guaranteed.”
Moreover, the doctors lamented the shortage of health personnel across all health facilities in the 18 local government areas of the state, ascribing this to the decision of medical experts’ refusal to take jobs in state government-owned facilities due to the entry point.
The doctors said: “There is a dire shortage of health personnel in the State. Doctors have refused to take up employment with the Ondo state government. This is not unconnected with the point of entry into the service which has been reviewed and approval given by the federal government to be at grade level 13 step 2 for doctors.
“However Ondo State is still using grade level 12 step 3 hence, the refusal of doctors to take up employment with the State Civil Service as witnessed in the last exercise conducted by Ondo Civil Service Commission.
“As at the time of writing this communiqué, there are only 22 resident doctors at UNIMEDTHC compared to the previous figure of 150 resident doctors.
Only a few weeks ago, 8 doctors left the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit at UNIMEDTHC in Ondo State to the same unit at OAUTHC, Ile Ife, Osun State.
“The Congress observed that the following units at UNIMEDTHC do not have resident doctors under training- Orthopaedics, Burns and Plastic, Ear, Nose and Throat, Mental Health, and Paediatric surgery.
“It was noted with great concern the collapse of the neurosurgery department of the Teaching hospital -no resident doctors and no consultants in that unit presently.
“It was observed that the state General Hospitals located at Iwaro-Oka, Ipe, Irele, and Ido-Ani where we used to have at least 5 doctors per General hospital, now have a doctor per General hospital and this doctor is expected to be on call every day of the week and that same doctor is also expected to see to the day to day running of the hospital. This is reminiscent of the slave trade era, where slaves work every minute each day.
“The OGM noted with grave concerns the non-implementation of the approved hazard allowance; approved for all doctors in Nigeria in December 2021 and has been implemented for all doctors working with the federal government for the past 26 months ago and in almost all the states of the federation. Our neighbour, Ekiti State has been enjoying it for almost one year.
“This was eventually approved by the Ondo state government in August 2023; it took over 60 days before the approval could be circularized. It was eventually done on 23rd October 2023, with the implementation period backdated to 2nd October 2023 but now 5 months after, no payment has been made by the state government.
“The Congress noted with deep sadness the huge disparities in the salaries of doctors working in Ondo state and that of Ekiti state, Osun state, Kwara state, Edo state to mention a few in one hand and that of the doctors working with Federal Civil Service in another hand.
“The OGM observed with great concern the continued decay of infrastructure in our general hospitals across the state and UNIMEDTHC, a teaching hospital. It also notes the gap in the existence of equipment in these health facilities and institutions.
“The Congress, after exhaustive deliberations on these issues therefore reached the following resolutions:
As a matter of urgency, the state government should fast-track the recruitment of health personnel in the state.
“It was also resolved that the implementation of the grade level 13 step 2 as a point of entry for medical doctors should be implemented if the government wants doctors to take up employment with Ondo State Civil Service.
“The Congress resolved that the huge disparities in the salaries of doctors in Ondo State Civil Service (an oil producing state) and that of the neighbouring states especially Ekiti state ( created out of Ondo state and a non-oil producing state) should be looked into to bridge the gap, without further delay.
“The State Government should as a matter of urgency set up a committee to enter into negotiation for the implementations of this noted disparity.
“The OGM encourages the state government to resolve the issues of non-availability of equipment at some critical units in our teaching hospital UNIMEDTHC (The CT scan is non-functional for over 12 months, no ventilators at the ICU) etc.
“The Congress would like to plead with opinion leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, stakeholders and all Ondo state residents interested in a healthy Ondo state to prevail on our government to declare a state of emergency in Ondo state health sector to proffer effective measures and solutions to the sector’s numerous challenges to achieving a healthy, prosperous and peaceful Ondo state.”
However, the doctors said they would reconvene after the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum to decide on the way forward.
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