… As NMA Decries Poor Salary Scale Of Members
UYO
At the weekend, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency and chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Health, Nutrition and Food Security assured medical and health workers in Akwa Ibom State Government employ that he would parley on the need to increase their wages as it is obtained in other States in the country.
Mr. Moses Essien, who was speaking when the leadership of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Akwa lbom State branch, led by its chairman, Dr Aniekan Peter, paid him a courtesy call in the Assembly Complex, Uyo, on Friday, urged the association to adopt dialogue with relevant government departments in agitating for improved welfare package for its members and other health workers in the State government employ, assuring that his committee will engage with the State Ministry of Health on the matter.
The lawmaker listed the various investments made by the present administration in the State in the health sector, which included the increase of budgetary allocation of 7.5 percent in the 2025 budget for the health sector, the ongoing construction of international hospital, among others, and appealed to them to reciprocate government gesture in good light.
The Ibiono Ibom lawmaker assured that Gov Umo Eno, as a listening leader, would address their demands, hence, there was no need for them to contemplate strike over the issue.
Essien also expressed concern over the inability of Akwa Ibom indigenes to gain admissions to study medicine and surgery in the University of Uyo, even after they had scored 320 in Unified Matriculation Examination, UTME, because of limited vacancy.
On the state of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo, he explained that the hospital was owned and run by the Catholic Missionary, thus, the state government cannot take over the welfare of workers.
Earlier, the state NMA chairman, Dr Aniekan Peter, while commending the state government for the various investments in the health sector, lamented the poor salary scale of medical doctors working in the State civil service.
He said “Medical doctors are paid between N250,000 to N300,000 as monthly salary by the State government, whereas other States in the country have increased doctors’ salary in their employ to N500,000 and above per month.”
Peter called on the State government to increase doctors’ and other medical personnel’s salaries by 100 per cent to check migration from the State to other States with higher salary, threatening that the NMA would call its members out on strike in all government health facilities if their demand was not met.
He blamed the low admission of Akwa Ibom indigenes who score high marks of 320 in UTME to lack of space in the University of Uyo since it is the only institution in the State that has the Department of Medicine and Surgery, and called on the State government to commence the study of medicine and surgery in the state-owned university to cater for the admission needs of qualified Akwa Ibom indigenes who want to study medicine and surgery.
Other members of the committee during the courtesy call were, the member representing Eket State Constituency and deputy leader, Dr. Nsidibe Akata, Mr. Uduak-obong Ekpo-Ufot, representing Etinan and Mr. Lawrence Udoide, representing Ini, who all sued for understanding and peaceful resolutions between the State government and the health workers.
Discussion about this post