Ondo: Why Health Workers Abandon State Hospitals For Greener Pastures – NMA Chairman

By Ayodele Oni

Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA),  Ondo state chapter, Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Adegbehingbe has revealed that the state has been blacklisted in the medical world, due to continued government refusal to ensure regular payment of salary.

She stated that this has also led to mass exodus of medical personnel from the state in search of greener pastures.

The NMA leader, who spoke to Journalists in Akure, warned the  Ondo State government that the exodus would continue, unless the administration can do something to ensure regular payment salaries to health workers.

Government owned health institutions in the state are currently experiencing shortage of medical personnel, especially doctors and nurses, majority of whom had resigned due to non payment of their salary and allowances.

Dr. Adegbehingbe, who spoke on activities marking 2022 Conference of the Association in the state, disclosed that her members especially nurses, are owed four months salaries, while introduction of percentage salaries last year caused the exit of many doctors from the state health sector.

Giving an account of her stewardship in the last two years, Dr. Adegbehingbe said under her watch, NMA clinic was completed and delivered, as well as members welfare prioritized just as the state chapter now has a functional website.

She also hinted that her team is the first to document Ondo NMA history and has gone a step further to institute an ongoing review of the constitution and bye laws with the hope of getting them ratified before end of  tenure.

While also noting that it has been very challenging, she added that Ondo State is worst hit in terms of Medical doctors and other health workers leaving the service of the state government in the South-west, due to non payment of salaries and other allowances.

“On the issue of brain drain of Medical doctors and other health workers, we have not started to feel the impact yet because it is going to be very massive.

“It is not only in ondo state, though Ondo State is the worst hit in the South West and that is the truth. The national and the state body of NMA have been engaging government.

“Immediately the percentage payment started, we knew there would be problems. We also appealed to the government to be proactive so that these Medical doctors would be encouraged because once they start leaving, to get them back will be very difficult.

“Unfortunately, nothing was done and that was why at the beginning of my tenure, there were series of strikes and by the time we last went on strike, I told the government that there will no longer be strike because there will be no doctors to go on strike. The only solution to brain drain is the regular payment of salary.

“Now, government wants to employ more doctors, but people are not coming because in the medical world, Ondo State has been blacklisted and no one wants to come and work in here.”

On the line up of programmes for 2022 conference, Dr.  Adegbehingbe said the activities will come to a climax on Thursday for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and end on Friday with a Jumat service.

She expressed appreciation to the body of doctors in the state for reposing trust in her leadership.

, Dr. Adegbehingbe thanked the state government for its contributions towards the completion of the NMA Clinic.