Korede Abdullah
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have lamented the scarcity of manpower across the healthcare facilities in the country. NARD made this revelation in a communique issued on Monday after its Ordinary General Meeting held in Kaduna from May 27 to June 1st, 2024, with the theme, ‘Journey towards universal health coverage: Nigeria’s status amidst financial crisis and epidemiologic transition.’
Its President, Dr Dele Abdullah; the Secretary-General, Dr Christopher Anaduaka; and the Public and Social Secretary, Dr John Egbe, jointly signed the communique. The resident doctors lamented the manpower gap has resulted in a high workload on their members in the country, and wanted the Federal Government to acceed to the demands of the Organised Labour.
In its communique, NARD observed that bigger health facilities are bearing the greater brunt of the shortage.
The communique read in part, “The OGM observed with dismay the dearth of manpower in our hospitals across the country with bigger centres bearing the greater brunt and its attendant burnout effect on our members. The OGM also noted with appreciation the different efforts of the Ministry of Health to find a lasting solution to this chronic manpower shortage
.“The OGM observed that this manpower gap has resulted in a high workload meted on our members across the country resulting in burnout and worsening the exodus of our members. The OGM also observed that despite the massive manpower gap there is still massive casualisation of our members in different health institutions
across the country.
“The OGM observed with dismay the injustices being endured by our members on Locum appointments such as not being paid the upward review Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and being denied other emoluments such as medical residency training fund and hazard allowances by some hospital managements. The OGM noted with shock that the federal government paid only one month of the upward CONMESS review arrears with a protracted delay in paying the remaining seven months.”
The doctors stressed that they were displeased with the deliberate delay of some Chief Medical Doctors/Medical Doctors in paying allowances in spite of the circular released by the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission dated July 26, 2023, and directive of the coordinating minister of the Federal Ministry of Health and social welfare to all CMDs /MDs.
They also used the opportunity to call for the abolishment of the casualisation of doctors to ensure fair and secure employment practices in the health sector.
It will be recalled that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate last week, decried that developing countries like Nigeria continue to lose their highly trained health professionals to developed countries that did not invest in their first professional education.
The minister said in spite of that, the country was taking responsibility and making efforts to rebuild the national health system, improve its governance, strengthen public health capacities, and unlock our healthcare value.
