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A cloud of uncertainty has descended over the healthcare sector in Ogun State as medical doctors embark on an open-ended work stoppage, driven by a festering dispute over unpaid allowances that’s been lingering for far too long.
The industrial action, which began unfolding on Tuesday, is a direct response to the lingering pay inequality between medical workers in federal and state employ, a contentious issue that’s finally reached a boiling point.
To arrest the worrying trend of medical professionals abandoning the state, Dr. Kunle Ashimi, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ogun State, insists that the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) must be enacted without further delay.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to reach an agreement with the state government.
“The government continues to plead that the issues of minimum wage and other related matters are common but my people believe that we need to address the issues on the ground,” he stated.
Read also: Anambra Doctors Threaten Strike Over Unpaid Entitlements
Dr. Ashimi voiced his concern that the state is suffering from a daily loss of doctors, which he attributed to the existing pay inequality, and suggested that paying the revised CONMESS would be a crucial step in persuading doctors to remain in the state.
He lamented that the state “is losing a lot of doctors daily because of the pay disparity. If the reviewed CONMESS is paid, it will encourage the doctors to stay”.
