Rabiu Omaku
The Nigeria Medical Association Nasarawa State Chapter has identified stagnation and heavy taxation deducted from the salary of doctors as the major constraint that lead to the acute shortage of doctors in Nasarawa State.
Chairman of the Association,Dr.Bulus Umaru stated this during a press conference held at the Association Secretariat during the weekend as NMA gave the State government three days ultimatum to do the needful or the Association would down tools.
“If government did not meet our demands by Sunday midnight strike would commence with 3 days warning strike and if otherwise we shutdown the entire system.
“What I’m saying in essence was that we the doctors of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital and doctors of Federal Medical Centre, Keffi residing in Nasarawa State are affected on the heavy tax for they are also part of the strike”.
He said if the 3 day warning strike did not yeild any fruitful discussion NMA would foist doctors operating in private hospitals to join the strike.
Dr.Bulus averred that promotion which was the right of civil servants is now a privilege by the State government which was reluctant to implement promotion since 2012.
“What we have at hand was Promotion on paper,I mean promotion without any benefit attached to it”
He said Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital looses 10 Consultants from January 2018 to March 2019,he said the Consultants include Ganeacologist,Peadestric and amongst others.
He further stated that scores of doctors also flee due to what he referred to unconducive working atmosphere.
“In 2014 there was an agitation over our salary scale and at the Federal government they resolve the issue while at the State level we keep on reminding them for 2 years and even this year we reminded the government because the current government is going by 29/5/2019”.
“Again we are owing 22months arrears mounting to N400M yet there is no end in sight to addressing the situation.
He described the 15 man committee headed by Bar.Mohammed Abdullahi ,the Secretary to the State Government set up to look into the plight of NMA as a total sham.
The committee that was given 3 weeks to submit it report is yet to be inaugurated,he however averred that the delay to inaugurate the committee was meant to buy time.
Dr.Bulus Umaru revealed that the Association would not hesitate to go to National Industrial Court to challenge the State government.
He commended the State government in the area of infrastructural development,stating that he has done 70 percent of projects.
The State Commissioner of health,Dr.Roseline Kela in an interview at the weekend said the State government is doing her possible best to resolve the cacophony without going on strike.
“We will have a meeting with NMA and I assured you that finding lasting solution is the best way out because if the strike should commence what would be the plight of the common man whose means of patronizing private hospital is meagre ?.
Further investigation by universalreporters revealed that DASH with the coming of the new Chief Medical Director has hike medical bills in other to boost the Internally Generated Revenue of the hospital,this has added untold hardship to patients.
