NMA worried as 105 doctors resign enmasse in Ondo over unpaid salaries

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) on Monday bemoaned the mass resignation of doctors in Ondo State over ‘irregular payment of salaries’.

Their worry was contained in a statement issued by the State Chairman of the association, Dr Stella Adegbehingbe, and the state secretary, Dr. Olorunfemi Owa, which blamed the mass resignation on irregular and percentage payment of salaries by the state government.

Due to this action, there has been a severe dearth of medical doctors in the State-owned Teaching Hospital.

”This makes it practically impossible for the hospital to function at a minimum acceptable level,” the statement reads.

“Consequential vacancies in the medical officer cadre need to be urgently filled. About 50 medical Doctors in this cadre have left the employment of the Hospital Management Board without replacement over the last few months.

“Yawning vacancies exist in the Resident Doctor and Consultant cadres at the Teaching Hospital. These have remained difficult to fill due to the haphazard safety payments.

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“We have it on good records that about 105 medical doctors have resigned their employment from the government-owned hospitals in the last year alone.

“Ondo State has not been able to engage a requisite number of House officers since 2019. This has made our work almost impossible because this group of doctors have peculiar roles in health service delivery.”

“It is troubling to note that only three house officers are left in the service of the Ondo State Government across the three senatorial zones.

“There is no gainsaying that the ongoing laudable efforts at having a Contributory Health Insurance Scheme in the state can only be successful if the urgent issue of manpower need is adequately addressed,” the NMA stated.

By Mayowa Oladeji

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