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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has slammed the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki over poor state of health facilities and welfare of doctors in the employment of the state government.
Association Chairman, Udoka Imoisili, highlighted the deplorable conditions of health facilities at the opening ceremony of the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Association of Resident Doctors under the Edo State Government Employment (ARD EDGE), commending the doctors for being able to organise their AGM despite the harsh working conditions in which they operate.
She listed some of the challenges bedevilling doctors under the state employ to include; “the non-payment of hazard allowance for almost a year, the minimum wage not paid to only doctors in the state, the disappearing residency programme, 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.”
Besides, she said a tour through “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.
“The governor has refused us an audience for almost a year 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 bedevilling 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,” the NMA chairman said.
She disclosed the association’s suggestion that state hospitals should be given some level of autonomy so that whatever they generate is ploughed back into the system has been ignored.
Commissioner for Health, Samuel Alli, who was the chairman on the occasion, said 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.
