Hussaini Kafi in Kano
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has called for the establishment of a unified salary structure for medical doctors across Nigeria to curb the mass migration of healthcare professionals from state to federal institutions in pursuit of better remuneration.
Governor Radda made the appeal on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) led by its National President, Professor Bala Muhammad Audu, at the Government House in Katsina.
“We need a unified salary structure for medical doctors in the country to reduce their movement to federal health institutions for higher salaries,” Governor Radda said, emphasizing the need to prioritize service delivery over financial incentives. “Doctors should not look at the money but their services required to save humanity.”
He highlighted several healthcare initiatives under his administration, including a foreign scholarship scheme targeted at indigent students from public schools who aspire to study medicine. “This initiative is designed to give children from less privileged families the opportunity to pursue medical careers,” the Governor noted.
Governor Radda further disclosed that the state is establishing three special schools—one in each senatorial district—to improve access to quality education for underprivileged children.
In the health sector, he cited the establishment of a dialysis center and an imaging center at the General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital as major milestones aimed at providing affordable healthcare services. He also instructed the Katsina State branch of the NMA to submit a formal proposal outlining the demands presented by the national leadership for government review.
In his remarks, NMA President Professor Bala Muhammad Audu commended Governor Radda’s efforts to transform the health sector. “We are particularly happy with the establishment of the dialysis and imaging centers, which will benefit patients not only in Katsina but across the country,” he said.
Professor Audu lauded the upgrading of seven comprehensive health centers to general hospital status and praised the state’s goal of establishing well-equipped health facilities in all 361 electoral wards.
He also expressed gratitude for the Governor’s support in paying residency training allowances but called for an upward review of the stipends. Additionally, the NMA President acknowledged the allocation of land under the Federal Mortgage Bank housing scheme for doctors, while requesting further infrastructure and more land to expand the initiative.
Stressing the importance of local medical education, Professor Audu urged the state government to pursue full accreditation of the medical school at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University. “This would reduce the financial burden on the state in sending students abroad for medical training,” he noted.
Concluding the visit, Professor Audu offered condolences to Governor Radda over the recent loss of his mother, Hajiya Safara’u, and prayed for her eternal rest in Aljanna Firdausi.
