The Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) assessed the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki as regards to state of health facilities and welfare of doctors in the employment of the state government and concluded that the administration is a failure.
The State Chairman of the association, Dr. (Mrs) Udoka Imoisili, spoke in Benin, at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors under the Edo State Government Employment (ARD EDGE).
She commended the doctors for being able to organize their AGM despite harsh working conditions they operate.
Imoisili identified some the challenges confronting doctors under the state employ to include “The nonpayment of hazard allowance for almost a year now, the minimum wage not paid to only doctors in the state, and the disappearing residency programme.”
Others are “the refusal to ensure palliatives despite going to work everyday in the face of fuel subsidy removal, the crappy and miserable working conditions, little or no impress to run the hospitals” among others.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has refused us an audience for almost a year now despite these enormous challenges. We have written several letters requesting a courtesy visit, we have begged and lobbied with all channels humanly possible to table these challenges bedeviling our members, but to no avail.
“You cannot claim to be solving a problem for a people you are not in touch with. There is a serious disconnect between the leadership and the led.
“Most of our hospitals across the state is nauseating. There are no restrooms, dilapidated buildings, ragged furniture and fittings, no light source and devoid of water, the environment, only fit for poultry.”
According to her, their suggestion that state hospitals should be given some level of autonomy so that whatever they generate is plunged back into the system has been ignored.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Samuel Alli who was the Chairman of the occasion said that the Governor is doing his best for the health sector, and pleaded to be given a few months to interact with the Government to resolve the issues raised by the NMA.
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