Collins Agwam
The Nasarawa State Government, on Friday, debunked ongoing media reports that 59 medical doctors resigned from the state.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lafia, the state capital, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, said only nine medical doctors from the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, resigned, and not 59 doctors as widely speculated.
He described the situation as a temporary setback for the state-owned health facilities, assuring that the state government was working assiduously towards ensuring that the demands of health workers in the state were met in order to forestall future occurrences.
“What we are bedevilled with at the moment is just being magnified. There is no time in the history of Nasarawa State that 59 medical doctors left our hospital facilities at once.
“What I know is that nine doctors have given notice that they will be leaving at the end of this month. Some will be going to the Jos University Teaching Hospital in Plateau State, while others will be going to the Federal Medical Centre Keffi, Nasarawa State.
“We are aware that there are issues with hazard allowances and promotion arrears. But I would like to assure the general public that efforts are underway to address these issues.
“We are also working hard to improve our healthcare services. Our expectation is that by the time we leave office in 2027, public hospitals in Nasarawa State will be significantly enhanced,” he stated.
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Nasarawa State chapter, threatened to embark on an industrial action if the state government does not meet its demands within two weeks.
In a letter signed by the state Chairman and Secretary of the association, Attah Avre and Alaku Ayuba, respectively, the association gave the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, a 14-day ultimatum to avert the imminent collapse of the health sector in the state.
NANNM listed its demands and challenges to include the implementation of reviewed CONHESS, the implementation of reviewed hazard allowances, and the payment of the 2021 and 2022 uniform allowances.
Others are implementation of the promotion at hand and completion of the process of the collegiate system of the School of Nursing, Lafia with full NBTE accreditation, and gross manpower shortage.
The organization stated, “We are also urging the governor to employ more nurses and midwives as well as clinical attendants, and equip the hospitals with state-of-the-art equipment in order to deliver quality healthcare services to the people of the state.
“We hope that the state government will call us to a negotiating table soon and proffer solutions to these issues that have been bothering members of the association.”
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