Pay resident doctors withheld salary areas, NARD urges FG 

Angela Onwuzoo

As  Nigeria marks this year’s International Workers’ Day,  the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has asked the Federal Government to pay the seven months salary arrears owed its members under the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.

NARD is also calling on the Federal Government to put measures in place to retain doctors currently in the system and improve their welfare as maximum as possible.

CONMESS is the salary structure for medical and dental officers in the federal public service.

Medical doctors and other health workers have downed tools many times in the past over the failure of the government to review and implement the salary structure.

President Bola Tinubu had in July 2023 approved a 25 percent 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.

NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi who made the call during an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise on Wednesday, in commemoration of this year’s Workers’ Day, also appealed to the Federal Government to ensure immediate replacement of exited clinical staff to reduce the workload on its members.

Abdullahi said though the Federal Government has begun the implementation of the 25 percent upward review of CONMESS, it has yet to pay its members their salary arrears from June 1 to December 31, 2023.

He said, ” For a very long time we have been having discussions with the Federal Government about increments in our salary and allowances that accrue to it.

” By July last year, a circular was released talking about the increment in the basic salary of healthcare workers in Nigeria, our members included.

“The 25 percent CONMESS salary increment is being implemented. But if you look at the circular, it states that the implementation will start from June 1, 2023. To date, the salary arrears from June 1 to December, 31 are yet to be paid to our members-totaling about seven months arrears. This is a major cause of agitation.”

 According to him, even the allowances are still yet to be recalculated for proper placement.

The NARD leader also decried the working environment of its members, lamenting that doctors are now working longer hours than usual, a development he said was impacting their mental and physical health.

 “The other thing which is peculiar to our members is the working environment and working hours.

“We all know that we have a limited number of doctors we need in the country right now, meaning that the ones on the ground are working the shift of others who have exited the system.

“These workers are working more hours than usual and it is affecting their mental and physical health. Most health workers can’t spend their holidays properly anymore because they have to cover the extra shift. And this is coming without any form of extra remuneration”, he lamented.

The physician urged the government to address the concerns of his colleagues if it wants to see an end to the challenge of brain drain in the health sector.

Abdullahi, however, said, “We are hoping the Federal Government will look into this. The Federal Ministry of Health is doing a lot in tackling the manpower gap. They have put a lot of things in place to improve on this. But still, we are not seeing the effect yet.”

On how to holistically address the problem, the  NARD President,  said, “We need to put in measures place to retain doctors on the ground and that is to improve their welfare as maximum as possible.

“We need to increase remuneration and create other incentives for this health workforce in place. Right now, we are still witnessing an increase in the number of health workers who are leaving the country.

“We are hoping that we can reverse this trend by actions that will be taken by the Federal Government to keep them in. The government cannot force health workers to stay home. The only thing they can do is to improve their welfare.”

 Commemorating all workers in Nigeria,  Abdullahi said the day is a reminder of the sacrifice that an average Nigerian makes for the success of the economy of the country.

Workers’ Day celebration in Nigeria owes its origins to the People’s Redemption Party government in Kaduna and Kano, which in 1980 adopted May 1 as a public holiday for the commemoration of International Workers Day.

In 1981, the Federal Government under Shehu Shagari, declared May 1 as a national holiday to celebrate International Workers’ Day.