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(Lokoja)
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) branch, Lokoja has described the salary package of doctors in the state-owned tertiary health institutions as one of the least and poorest in the country.
Dr Emmanuel Bola Kelvin, the President of ARD, KSSH, who disclosed this in a statement in Lokoja, urged the government to be “fair to doctors in the state-owned hospitals.”
He disclosed that the least salary of medical doctors in the state is N158,000 instead of N300,000, adding ”we are humans too, be fair to us”. We deserv more than that.”
He noted that doctors in KSSH were amongst the least and poorly paid among their peers in the federal and most states’ tertiary health institutions in the country
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According to Kelvin, KSSH is the only state-owned tertiary hospital in the state capital, Lokoja, strategically located to be the pride of all Kogites, but that the poorly motivated workforce is not aiding the realisation of its full potential.
He said:”This is because doctors in KSSH Lokoja have just been getting along on half (50%) salary, occasioned by the non implementation of corrected CONMESS (Consolidated Medical Salary Structure), the new minimum wage and it’s consequential adjustment, skipping, relativity, promotion and annual step increment.
”In Kogi State as at now, all health care workers are being skipped a grade level (CONHESS 10 which is the direct equivalent of CONMESS 2), the only exception are our members in KSSH Lokoja; this is highly unjust.”
He added that members of the association also experience non payment of their outstanding salaries in January 2018, payment of 80 percent salaries from April 2020 till date.
According to Kelvin, non review of the hazards allowance ARD members in the state, as done by the federal government and some states’ tertiary health institutions, had further reduced their take home to below 50 per cent, compared to their contemporaries elsewhere.
He noted that doctors’ salary (CONMESS) had been reviewed three times since inception nation wide in 2009, 2014 and 2019, stressing that the federal and most states’ tertiary health institutions had implemented the latest 2019 CONMESS Circular.
Kelvin, however, stated that in Kogi State Specialist Hospital, the doctors were being paid a percentage of the 2009 CONMESS Circular.
”Hence, the average doctor working at KSSH Lokoja and by extention the Kogi State Civil Service is already at a serious financial disadvantage, compared to their counterparts working with the Federal Civil Service or other states of the federation where these salary adjustments have been implemented.
”The direct implication is the exodus of doctors from the KSSH and the civil service at large.
“It is more painful to note that, those of us who have shown patriotism and stayed behind are highly unappreciated.
”This is more worrisome when the people we are taking care of do not rise up to protect our welfare as witnessed in other climes.
”It was clear that in April and May 2020 when we were actively working in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, a large percentage of the state civil servants are at home resting.
He described as most unfortunate, despite the contribution to health sector, they “we are not appreciated enough to be paid our full salaries, rather, we are made to participate in the percentage salary payment.”
”During war, the security sector is prioritized; during famine, the agricultural sector is prioritized, it then baffles us why we were not been prioritized in the midst of a pandemic as being done across to globe!
”While we are not unaware of the economic impact of the covid-19 pandemic, it is our belief that the health sector deserves utmost attention at this time,” Kelvin stated.
The president of the association,who expressed the hope that the state government is looking into issues bothering ARD members, appealed for speedy approval and quick implementation to ensure a motivated health sector.
”As at today, 10 doctors have lost their lives to Covid-19 nation wide; this is so pathetic. We do not want to be taken by surprise.
”Hence, we call on the state government to ensure a sustained supply of personal protective equipments (PPE) to KSSH Lokoja to ensure the protection of our members.
”We also call on the state government to speedily ensure that life insurance policy is made available for healthcare workers across the state.
”We remain committed to our job, but we will appreciate if we are genuinely loved, supported and positively motivated,” he add.
Kelvin further called on the people of the state to appeal to the state government to promptly address the issues ARD members raised in the interest of the teaming public seeking healthcare at KSSH Lokoja.
