“ABSUTH cannot attract world class professionals” Dr. Erondu.
The President of the National Association Of Resident Doctors, NARD, Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba, ABSUTH Chapter, Dr Nnamdi Erondu, has called on the State Government to fulfill its promise of aligning the salary scale of Resident Doctors at the hospital with those of their counterparts in other parts of the country.
This is even as he has appealed to Governor Alex Otti, to keep faith with his electioneering promise of offsetting the 21 months salary arrears owed workers of the institution.
Dr Erondu who spoke in an interview with The Source (Newsmagazine) on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 insisted that it will be practically impossible to attract world class medical professionals to the institution going by the poor remuneration package currently in place.
He regretted that the Institution’s Doctors are still currently being paid with the 2009 salary structure, even when the system has been reviewed six times in other Tertiary Health Institutions in the country.
“The fact is that we, at ABSUTH, are being paid with the salary structure that was enacted in 2009 .
“Between 2009 and now, there have been six reviews. That leaves us six steps behind our counterparts in other hospitals, including the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia.
“As I am speaking now, our salary here is less than half of what our colleagues are being paid at other institutions .
“When the present administration came on board last year, the issue was raised. The Commissioner of Health set up a Committee to look in to the matter.
“After interacting with other sister institutions, the Committee discovered that we are actually far behind and agreed that the salary structure has to be reviewed.
“The Abia State Government accepted and right before our National President and other officials, promised that it will start paying us with the review salary structure by December 31, 2023.
“But as at today, we are still being paid with the 2009 salary structure.” Dr Erondu stated .
According to him, the vision and mission of the present administration in the state to transform ABSUTH, will be difficult to realise if an enabling environment for the attraction of world class professionals is not put in place.
“The Governor has repeatedly stated that his intention is to make ABSUTH a world class institution capable of competing favourably with others across the country.
“This is a vision all of us here share. But the problem is that in pursuing that vision, you have to factor in the attraction of equally world class professionals .
“But the truth is that with the relatively poor remuneration package in place, you are not even sure of retaining the ones in the system, not to talk of attracting others from other institutions.
“Like I said earlier, we are six steps behind our colleagues in other places. How do you convince those people to leave where they are being paid higher to come and collect less?
“Again, those Institutions already paying more than we do here ,are struggling to combat the scourge of brain drain ( the now popular Japa syndrome).
“If those institutions relatively better off than us in terms of remuneration, are battling to ward off brain drain, I don’t see how ABSUTH with its present welfare package is being an option for world class professionals.
“Therefore, our appeal is that the authorities should urgently address the welfare of the staff of the institution as a prelude to the realization of the vision of repositioning the system”, the ABSUTH-NARD President noted.
Further speaking, Dr Erondu emphasised the need for Governor Otti, to justify the trust and confidence the ABSUTH Community reposed in him by ensuring that all agreements reached with the staffers are fulfilled.
“Look, almost through out the past administration in the state, we were locked in one industrial action or the other due to the nonchalant attitude of the regime to us here .
“Principally, due to non-payments of salaries, this place was largely shot down. But due to the promise made by the Governor during the campaign period which he also repeated after winning the election, we sheathed the sword and lined up behind him.
“He promised to pay us our 21 months salary arrears as soon as he comes on board. This gingered us and as a result we called off all industrial disputes.
“But up till now, we are still waiting. The fact is that we are not interested in any confrontation with anybody. All we are interested in is for peace to reign in the system and ABSUTH and the State to move forward.
“So, it will be a good development if all stakeholders in the Abia renewal project are mutually sensitive to, and supportive of the interests and wellbeing of others” Dr Erondu noted
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