Janet Ogundepo
Lagos doctors have urged the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to implement the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to avert a crisis in the state’s health sector.
CONMESS is the salary structure for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.
The doctors, under the umbrella of the Medical Guild, said CONMESS was implemented for their federal counterparts with its accrued arrears from July 2023.
The Medical Guild is an association of doctors in Lagos State employment.
A statement signed by the guild’s Chairman, Dr Moruf Abdulsalam, on Wednesday, said the state government should honour the agreement or prepare for a crisis.
President Bola Tinubu had in July 2023, approved a 25 per cent upward review of the CONMESS for medical and dental officers in the federal public service with effect from June 1, to tackle brain drain and guarantee industrial harmony.
Nigeria has been battling with the increasing exodus of healthcare professionals, especially doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, to developed countries.
The statement read in part, “This press briefing has become imperative once again following a similar one made on June 05, 2024, particularly to draw the attention of Mr Governor and the public to the dire conditions of service of the medical personnel under the employ of the LASG and the need for urgent action to be taken to redress this before another avoidable breakdown in service delivery ensues!”
The guild chairman highlighted that the non-payment of the revised CONMESS allowance, already implemented for doctors working with the Federal Government and in some states, has worsened the salary disparity for doctors in Lagos State.
He noted that this has further worsened the already critical emigration of doctors to federal employment and overseas.
Abdulsalam decried the demotion of specialist consultants which has led to the incorrect step entry points into the public service, loss of income, low morale, and lack of interest from prospective specialists in joining the state health service.
He further expressed dissatisfaction over the non-deduction of contributory pension and National Housing Fund deductions for resident doctors in the state.
“The globally recognized japa syndrome remains an inadequately recognised crisis, and the apparent lukewarm approach of the state government towards the above-highlighted issues only serves to tilt the Lagos doctors’ endurance to the breakpoint.
“An average of two to three doctors resign from our primary and secondary facilities every month without commensurate replacement. This has led to overwork, chronic fatigue, burnout, and strained family relationships for the remaining doctors with many grappling with chronic medical conditions from the stress and overwork.
“Moreover, the current economic starvation and stagflation in the country are biting harder on doctors too!
“This has been further worsened by the nonpayment of the reviewed CONMESS allowance and other issues of poor conditions of service,” he said.
The Medical Guild chair further asserted that a recent survey showed that 91.1 per cent of doctors had manpower shortages in their department, 85.9 per cent reported burnout from being overworked and 54.4 per cent reported that their morale was low.
He expressed shock that 98.7 per cent of his members have never benefitted from the LASG Homs mortgage scheme or car loan.
Continuing, he said, “Despite this shortage of medical personnel and the consequent reduction in the wage bill of government for personnel cost, the state government has continued to open up more facilities such as the recently commissioned Gbajabiamila Hospital, Surulere, Maternal and Child Centre, Imota to mention a few.
“Recall also that the medical Guild has warned about the human resources crisis being experienced in our facilities via a September 2023 position paper titled ‘’Human Resource crisis in the Lagos State Health Sector; A Medical Guild cry on scope of the problem and Panacea- A position paper to the Lagos State government’’, where we have proferred our own solutions to mitigate this ongoing haemorrhage of doctors out of the state.”
Abdulsalam mentioned that although the association had continued to engage in advocacy and constructive persuasion to avert this looming crisis, the government is yet to bulge.
He mentioned that the associations’ congress would convey in a few days to determine the next line of action.
Listing the demands, Abdulsalam said, “Payment of the reviewed CONMESS allowance (living wage of Doctors) as implemented for our federal counterparts with its accrued arrears from July 2023. Employment of Medical Officers on grade level 12/2 and consultants at grade level 15/4 in line with national best practices.
“Immediate restoration and payment of contributory pension/NHF deductions for our resident doctors as enshrined in the Pension Reform Act of 2014. Full implementation of the September ‘23 Medical Guild position paper, as discussed and assented to by the government of Lagos state.”
The guild chairman pleaded with the governor to urgently implement the proposed incentives to avert an avoidable grand landscape crisis in the health sector.
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