Kaduna: Resident doctors fumes over poor remunerations

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Association of Resident Doctors, Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital (ARD-BDTH) has expressed dismay over the poor remuneration of doctors in Kaduna State, when compared to other states and Federal Government owned medical facilities.

This was contained in a communique issued after an emergency meeting held in Kaduna, yesterday.

The communique signed by Dr. Godwin Y. Abrak, Dr. Hassan Shuaibu Saliu, and Dr. Maryam Lawal Makarfi RRO1 respectively, stated that a House-officers and Resident Doctors in the state are paid about 35% and 30% less than those in federal institutions respectively, which encourages the continuous exit of doctors from the state health institutions to Federal ones or even out of the Country.

The Association, which is an affiliate member of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) also expressed disappointment in the attitude of the government toward a residency training program in the State’s tertiary institution where some departments still have no accreditation and some already accredited departments are losing their accreditation.

It added that the State has shown no significant effort with regards to the sponsoring residency program by not inducting the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) and thus, not considering payment of the Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF), thereby, making it difficult for resident doctors who are due to update courses and examinations to participate.

“There is a lack of adequate accommodation, common rooms, and call rooms for the

House officers and Resident doctors and that has created difficulties in timely attending to call duties and emergencies.

“Quick Implementation of the Federal Government’s new tax laws on the barely manageable State salary paid to doctors “Non-implementation of the new hazard allowance and the reviewed full CONMESS Salary structure of the Kaduna State Government in this era of outbreak of infectious diseases and other health-related hazards with little or no protective measures and equipment put in place.

“Delay of salary of newly employed doctors in the state, arrears of registrars and senior Registrars, Congress demands the immediate release of a circular for the replacement of exiting medical officers and/or the employment of new doctors to cope with low manpower, the communique stated.

Furthermore, they called for the speedy release of funds for accreditation for non-accredited departments and renewal of expired accreditations for the others, Immediate domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) in Kaduna state and payment of the medical residency fund.

“ Urgent provision of adequate accommodations, call rooms, and common rooms forhouse officers and resident doctors and quick Implementation of the new federal government salary structure (CONMESS) as related to the already implemented federal government tax in Kaduna state, this applies to all house officers and resident doctors

“Considering all efforts done in the past years by the association of resident doctors and the management of the Bureau Dikko Teaching Hospital to avert industrial action in the last 3 years, the congress decided to offer services from 8 am to 1 pm daily starting from the 28th of July, 2023 for seven (7) days while we remain open for negotiations on the above demands.

“Prompt review of the new hazard allowance and its immediate payment in arrears   and payment of salary arrears of new doctors and upgraded senior registrars as at when due, and failure to meet up with the demands will leave with no option but to embark on an indefinite strike”, it added.