Doctors in Ekiti State under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have lamented that the six month arrears of salaries owed their colleagues practicing in government hospitals is causing them hardship.
They said payment of salaries to workers and effective funding of the health institutions, particularly the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) will improve healthcare delivery and would ensure that the institution meets its core mandate in research and training.
State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Sunday Omoya, disclosed this on Saturday at a briefing to mark the end of the 2017 Physicians’ Week and Annual General Meeting of the body held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
During the 2017 Physicians’ Week, Omoya disclosed that 300 people were offered free medical treatment by doctors at Ipole Iloro in Ekiti West local government area of the State.
He said the body also held medical education for rural dwellers on dieting, hypertension, HIV/AIDS and other ailments ravaging the people
at the grassroots.
Omoya disclosed that NMA is tightening the noose on quackery with the signing of an agreement with state government for the introduction of accreditation of health facilities in a bid to fish out operators of illegal medical centres in the state.
Pleading for payment of doctors’ salaries, Omoya said: “We are pleading that even if all the arrears won’t be paid, government must bring us as per with our colleague civil servants.
“As we speak now, six months are being owed while civil servants are owed five months and this is causing serious demoralization to our doctors in all the cadres of health institutions”.
See Salaries of Medical Doctors in Nigeria
