The Kogi chapter of the National Association of Government General Medical & Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) has once again called on the State Government to promptly reconsider the current salary structure for doctors working in the state’s civil service to counteract the escalating problem of medical professionals leaving the state.

In a joint press statement issued on Monday in Lokoja, Dr. Ugoh Stanley Nkemakolam, the State Chairman of NAGGMDP, and Dr. Okundaye Benson, the Secretary, emphasized the need for this urgent review.

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This appeal follows a previous press conference held on June 23 in which the association requested an increase in CONMESS (Consolidated Medical Salary Structure), hazard allowances, promotion with adequate financial backing, the hiring of additional doctors, and the reintroduction of rural allowances for doctors working in rural areas to help mitigate the economic challenges they face.

The association highlighted that the current salary structure for doctors in the state civil service is outdated and no longer in line with current economic realities, particularly considering the removal of fuel subsidies.

They urged the state government to take immediate action to maintain the long-standing harmony between the government and its healthcare professionals, who are pivotal in providing clinical services across the state.