What looks like a dearth of medical doctors may have hit Kogi State as the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called on Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to reverse the ‘current internal drift’ of doctors and other healthcare workers in the state.
The association made the appeal in a statement issued to newsmen in Lokoja, Monday, by the state NMA Chairman, Dr Kabiru Zubair. The statement followed the exit of 88 medical doctors from the state public service.
According to Zubair, “Under this administration, a total of 88 doctors have left the Kogi Civil Service; previously, 79 doctors left plus another nine who had succeeded in securing new employment recently.
“Doctors and other healthcare workers remain the drivers of healthcare delivery anywhere in the world.
“Steps such as the payment of outstanding salary arrears of doctors and other healthcare workers, implementation of the corrected CONMESS, promotion and annual step increment, among others, are needed to reverse this unfortunate trend.
“As you commence your fourth year in office, the NMA as the custodian of the health of the people is ready and willing to partner with state government to improve the health sector in Kogi.”
Zubair, however, commended the state government and Bello for some positive steps the government had taken in repositioning the health sector in the state.