NARD Urges Gov. Obiano To Pay COOUTH Doctors Full CONMESS
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday called on Anambra government to pay the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) 100 per cent to doctors at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka.
The the national leadership of NARD made the call during a courtesy call on Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, Secretary to Anambra Government where they also informed him of their Ordinary General Assembly in the state on Wednesday.
Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, National President of NARD who led the delegation thanked the Anambra government for ensuring that the Residence Training Programme at COOUTH was fully operational.
Okhuaihesuyi also thanked the government for putting in place critical infrastructure for effective and effective health care delivery in the hospital.
He said the state government should increase the present 70 per cent implementation rate of conmess to 100 per cent as obtained in the federal level adding that it would help retain manpower in the hospital.
The NARD President said the hazard allowance for resident doctors which is N2,500 has become inadequate at a time when their counterparts in the federal category were agitating for 50 per cent of their basic salary.
“We also want the state government to provide life insurance for doctors, all this will help check the rate of brain drain in the health sector and make it comparable to some of the best in the world,” he said.
He also informed the SSG that delegates of the association from across the country would be in the state for its Ordinary General Assembly meeting during the week.
In his response, Chukwulobelu said the Obiano administration had done its best to make COOUTH the best amongst its peers in terms of infrastructure and human capital.
The SSG said the 70 per cent implementation was the best the government could effectively afford with express approval for management to generate money internally and pay themselves the remaining 30 per cent.
He said Condition of Service in the hospital was developed and approved under this administration and that the CONMESS was reached using some of the best paying state hospital as a benchmark.
He however urged doctors not to rely on subvention for sustenance of the hospital system but give their best to boost revenue and enhance their welfare.
“In advanced climes, money follows patients to the best hospitals but here, money follow the doctors, some consultants divert patients of public hospital to their private hospitals.
” This is not healthy for the revenue profile of the hospital, they must work and apply business acumen to sustain themselves.
“Government has traveled far in terms of CONMESS, we agree for 70 per cent that we can pay, we also told the hospital to generate money and pay themselves, we don’t want to pledge what we cannot pay.
” I encourage you to go for Life Insurance instead of hazard allowance which is based on convid-19,” he said.
NewsMonitor gathered that the OGM is a week long programme where no fewer than 250 participants from across the country would be in attendance.
