The leadership of the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday called Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration to task over the state’s health facilities and the welfare of doctors employed by the state government.
Dr. (Mrs) Udoka Imoisili, the state chairman of the association, stated this at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors under the Edo State Government Employment (ARD EDGE), where she praised the doctors for organising their AGM despite the harsh working conditions they face.
Imoisili identified some the challenges bedeviling 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, 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” among others.
She said shockingly, “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.” She lamented.
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.”
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.