There is serious concern in a state hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as six of its senior doctors are said to have recently migrated (ja pa) abroad within two weeks.
A nurse who works with the facility, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the six were Senior Medical Officers, adding that only two were left in that cadre.
The nurse added that how to get replacement for them had become a concern for management as well as government.
“But no urgent step is being taken. Doctors with less experience, who were their juniors before are for now being asked to take up their roles for now. The work has become very tedious for everyone.”
Meanwhile, the Kogi chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has decried the shortage of qualified medical doctors in secondary and tertiary health institutions and poor welfare package for doctors in the state.
The association also decried the delay in the payment of monthly salaries of doctors of the state’s Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, and Prince Abubakar Audu Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.
This was contained in Communiqué issued by the association at the end of the its Ordinary General Meeting (OGM), with the theme, “Retire Early, Retire Ready”, on Saturday in Lokoja.
The communique was jointly signed by Dr. Baoku Olusola and Dr. Emmanuel Kelvin, its Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
“We are dismay by the human resource and manpower gaps in various health institutions at all levels in Kogi state; this is not a good omen for the health sector in the state.
“We are urging the state government to recruit more qualified doctors, to fill up available gaps in various health institutions in the state and ensure regular payments of salaries of doctors and other health workers in specialist hospital, Lokoja and Prince Abubakar Audu Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.
“We appeal to the governor of the state to approve and implement various welfare packages for doctors in the state, including but not limited to the new hazard allowance,”NMA appealed
The association, however, commended Gov. Yahaya Bello, for the giant strides and investing heavily in the provision of critical infrastructures in various health institutions in the state.
It also appealed to the governor to support three of its members who are critically sick and currently taking treatment in various locations.
